RED CONSPICUOUS IN PLUMAGE 



463 



a home, and in six days it was complete. It was, as I 

 afterwards ascertained, nine and a half inches in depth. 

 This pair were not so shy 

 as most of those I had 

 watched ; after the exca- 

 vation was partly accom- 

 plished, they kept on at 

 their work when 1 was 

 in full view, though dis- 

 creetly keeping my dis- 

 tance. The male was 

 advisory counsel and de- 

 fender, but candor com- 

 pels me to admit that he 

 allowed Madam to do 

 more than her share of 

 the hard work. He was 

 always near, keeping an 

 eye on me and look- 

 ing into the small door- 

 way to note progress 

 when his mate had 

 flown away for food, 

 but only three times did I 

 catch him making the chips 

 fly himself. 



I thought sometimes he 

 seemed stupefied with the 

 sap he had been drinking. 

 This is not an uncommon 



403. Red-breasted Sapsuckbr. 



" The mother watched the attempt to 

 drink the sweet syrup.^^ 



