HABIT OF GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER. 85 
cone of the tree, that I tried, stuck in it very well. We seem 
here to see the beginning, or, more probably, an early stage of 
the habit. Some inches below this long cleft was something 
that may have also been one, with more idea of shape, but 
very rude and rough. There was no heap and no transported 
cones. 
(6) A more shapely cleft, about two feet from ground, but 
looked old. No heap, no transportations. Always the Scotch 
fir. Shape an oval. Could not distinguish apex from base. 
(7) Ditto, but fresher, with pecked cones of the tree lying 
about. Apex down,* height from ground some two feet. 
(8) Something that may have been a natural cleft, into 
which, judging by the pine-needles it contained, cones may 
have been placed. About same height from ground. 
(9) A fairly well-shaped cleft, to take the average Scotch fir- 
cone. The apex down. Some cones of the tree, well-pecked, on 
ground, and one spruce-cone— apparently unpecked—that must 
have been brought, but was too large for the groove. 
(10) A somewhat small niche. Shape approximating to oval 
but apex—if any—rather up than down. 
(11) Ditto. Height from ground 23 to 3 feet. Apex down 
but roughly shaped. No heap (asin all). Pecked cones of the 
‘tree—one pecked to pieces. No transported cones. 
(12) A well-marked cutting, of the spruce-cone shape, the 
apex down. Underneath, but not quite in line with the cleft, 
and from six inches to a foot out from the trunk, a heap of the 
pecked or broken-out ‘“‘leaves” of a spruce-cone, with other 
spruce-cones lying about that must, I think, have been brought. 
One of these seemed to have been pecked, but the others not, or 
only very slightly, at the base. Picking one to pieces I found it 
contained some small white grubs which would, no doubt, be 
palatable to a Woodpecker. I noticed here, just by the trunk, 
the excrement of a Woodpecker, which upon examination I 
found to contain what I took to be the hard parts of ants (but 
this, as will be seen farther on, was a mistake). Some cones of 
the tree itseli—the Scotch fir, as in every case—seemed to have 
been pecked, but they were old, and it was difficult to tell. 
** It would be easier for the bird to peck it out so, and this is no doubt 
the reason. 
