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NATURAL CARVINGS. 427 
ground. In it the birds had determined to make their 
home and began their operations. It was a piece of wood 
dried and thoroughly seasoned, without the least sign of de- 
cay. In the first day's labor, which was chiefly done by the 
male, they succeeded in penetrating the limb about one and 
one-half inches. The hole was conical in shape, the outer 
circle being finished or made large enough to admit the 
birds; then it gradually tapered to the smallest point. The 
second day they commenced to beat out the hole of suffi- 
cient size and depth, which was slowly executed, as hardly 
a particle of wood could be seen to fly off before their bills ; 
yet they persevered, and in eleven days they succeeded in 
completing it, by digging four inches below the aperture. 
Although it cost the birds much time to procure this tene- 
ment they had the satisfaction of knowing it was a good 
one. There was no smell of rotten wood about it, but was 
clean, dry, and smoothly finished. In this nest were reared 
five young woodpeckers. The male was mostly seen about 
the premises, and I think he did the most labor in preparing 
their abode. When the young appeared he was also dili- 
gent in procuring their food. 
_ In winter the Downy Woodpecker sometimes digs a hole 
mM some rotten tree for a retreat in stormy weather, and to 
roost in, 

NATURAL CARVINGS. 
BY PROF. A. M. EDWARDS. 
Many of our readers have doubtless often admired and 
Wondered at the exquisite carved ivory work sent forth 
by 3 that Strange, industrious, and ingenious people, the 
Chinese, No examples of their manipulative skill have 
attracted more attention, perhaps, than those balls within 
balls, each one more elaborately decorated than the other, 
