HAIRY WOODPECKER. 97 



to store a book ; and the mechanic ! Just watch 

 the dexterous bird as he works ! 



A master of his trade, he has various methods. 

 One day in September he flew past me with a 

 loud scream, and when I came up to him was 

 hard at excavating. His claws were fast in the 

 bark on the edge of the hole, and he seemed to be 

 half clinging to it, half lying against it. His stiff 

 tail quills helped to brace him against the tree, 

 and he drilled straight down, making the bark fly 

 with his rapid strokes. When the hole did not 

 clear itself with his blows, he would give a quick 

 scrape with his bill and drill away again. Sud- 

 denly he stopped, picked up something, and flew 

 up on a branch with it. He had found what he 

 was after. And what a relish it proved ! I could 

 almost see him holding it on his tongue. 



Another day in November he had to work 

 harder for his breakfast, and perhaps it was for- 

 tunate. The night before there had been a sharp 

 snowstorm from the north, so that in passing 

 through the woods all the trees and undergrowth 

 on the south of me were pure white, while on the 

 opposite side the gray trees with all their confu- 

 sion of branches, twigs, and noble trunks stood out 

 in bold relief. The snow that had fallen made it 

 rather cold standing still, and I would have been 

 glad to do part of Mr. Hairy's work myself. But 

 he needed no help. He marched up the side of 

 the stub, tapping as he went, and when his bill 



