FIELD AND STUDY 



that he had a steel punch for a bill, and that it 

 never got dull. 



But the high-hole's bill is a wonderful instrument 

 and serves him in many ways. In the spring bird- 

 orchestra he plays an important part, more so than 

 that of any other of the woodpeckers. He is never 

 a disturber of the country quiet except on such 

 occasions as above referred to. His insistent call 

 coming up from the April and May meadows or 

 pastures or groves is pleasing to the nature-lover 

 to a high degree. It does seem to quicken the sea- 

 son's coming, though my pair were slow in getting 

 down to business, doubtless on account of the back- 

 ward spring and the consequent scarcity of ants, 

 which are their favorite food. 



When on the 1st of June I looked into the cavity 

 in one of my maples, and saw only one egg, I thought 

 it a meagre result for all that mpnth and a half of 

 beating of drum and clashing of cymbals; but on 

 the 20th of June the results were more ample, and 

 four open mouths greeted me as I again looked into 

 the little dark chamber in the maple. The drumming 

 and trumpeting had ceased, and the festive and 

 holiday air of the birds had given place to an air of 

 silent solicitude. As the cavity is, a natural one, the 

 result of a decayed limb, it does not have the car- 

 peting of soft pulverized "dozy" wood that it 

 would have had it been excavated by the birds. 

 Hence, for days before the full complement of eggs 

 20 



