210 TWO LITTLE DRUMMERS. 



off, and from that break the trunk was dead two 

 or three feet down. In that part was the open- 

 ing, and the foliage that nearly hid it grew on 

 the large branches below. Most of the nests, 

 however, were in the customary dead trunks, 

 on which we could gently rap, and bring out 

 whoever was at home to answer our call. 



Young woodpeckers are somewhat precocious ; 

 or, to speak more correctly, they stay in the 

 nest till almost mature. We see in this family 

 no half-fledged youngster wandering aimlessly 

 about, unable to fly or to help itself, a sight 

 very common among the feathered folk whose 

 homes are nearer the ground. One morning, a 

 young bird, not yet familar with the mysteries 

 of the world about him, flew into the open win- 

 dow of a room in the house, and for an hour we 

 had a fine opportunity to study him near at 

 hand. The moment he entered he went to the 

 cornice, and although he flew around freely, he 

 did not descend so low as the top of the window, 

 wide open for his benefit. He was not in the 

 least afraid or embarrassed by his staring audi- 

 ence, nor did he beat himself against the wall 

 and the furniture, as would many birds in his 

 position ; in fact, he showed unusual self-pos- 

 session and self-reliance. He was exceedingly 

 curious about his surroundings : tapped the wall, 

 tested the top of picture frames, drummed on the 



