SAPSUCKERS AND THEIR GUESTS. 133 



die entirely around the trunk. This girdle con- 

 tained over 800 punctures and was about three 

 feet in height. In places the punctures or 

 drills had run together, causing the bark to gape 

 and show dry wood within. The upper holes 

 alone yielded sap. From this I inferred that 

 what the birds obtained was the elaborated sap 

 descending from the leaves through the fibres of 

 the inner bark. I tasted the sap and found it 

 unmistakably sweet. The leaves on branches 

 above the drills drooped; those below were in 

 good condition. I watched the drills on this 

 tree from 12.30 p. M. until 2, and from 4 until 6. 

 I was concealed in the bushes to the northwest 

 of the tree. During almost all of this period 

 of three and a half hours one or more wood- 

 peckers were in the tree engaged at the drills. 

 They were a male, female and two young birds. 

 Four visits were paid by humming-birds in the 

 time named. The visitors were driven away by 

 the woodpeckers. At 5.30 I shot one of the 

 young birds in order to determine the number 

 of individuals using the orchard. His absence 

 was unnoticed by the survivors. 



The next day, July 22, I watched from 9.30 

 A. M. until 1 P. M. The male, female and one 

 young bird were present, the tree being seldom 

 left by all at once. Ten visits were paid by 

 humming-birds ; in five cases the birds reached 



