30. THE WOODPECKER. 



bright morning in April, Alice and Mabel 

 were out walking near a wood. Suddenly 

 they heard a tap, tap, tap-tap-tap ! 

 " What is knocking ? " asked Alice. 

 " It comes from this large old oak," answered 

 Mabel. 



" Oh, it is a bird ! I see his red head. 

 Let us watch him." 



" His breast is a yellowish white, but 

 his back is speckled, black and white," 

 said Mabel. 



" See, there he goes ! How fast he climbs up 

 the tree ! I should think he would fall off," 

 exclaimed Alice. " His feet cannot be like Mrs. 

 Robin's." 



" No," said Mabel. " This bird is a climber, and 

 they have two toes in front and two behind. Their 

 claws are long and curved." 



" I wonder how he makes that noise," said 

 Alice. 



