514 The Hairy Woodpecker. [May, 
large enough to admit of an examination of the nest, we found 
only three eggs. We had almost forgotten the experience of the 
past season, so, instead of using cord to secure the piece which 
- we had removed in position again, we nailed it in and departed, 
that the female might deposit the one or two eggs still wanting to 
make the number required by the statement of the books. Three 
days subsequent, viz., on May Ist, we again examined the nest by 
removing the nails and found that it contained, as before, three 
eggs ; but there was this difference, now each egg was pecked and 
a young bird chirped at us from within the compliments of the 
day. This was an unlooked for as well as unappreciated greeting ; 
so, closing up the aperture, we departed in disgust. We in 
imagination already placed the set of glossy white eggs in our 
collection, in fact we had not counted our birds before they were 
- hatched, but our eggs had hatched into birds, a possibility which 
we had not counted upon at all; an occurrence, by the way, not 
rarely met with by the procrastinating odlogist of limited expe 
rience. Two other nests, quite similarly situated, each contained 
young birds on May 8th and roth, respectively. | 
It will be observed in the five instances above cited, the orthodox | 
date and number of eggs in a set were not conformed to, a fact 
which we regretted very much, since we had pinned our faith upon | 
the statements of eminent authorities in the matter. Perhaps these 
‘were very erratic specimens of this demure species which ig 
chanced to encounter; we know not that this was the case, but this 
we do know, the facts stand as stated. Another season’s exper 
ence similar to the foregoing will militate very strongly against 
the books as regard this section in the matter of the nidificatio® 
of the hairy woodpecker. We shall assume in our personal opera- 
tions the coming season that April 25th will do very well as i 
date to seek for the hairy’s nest, and that three will make pan l 
eggs, though should we discover four or even five we will n ; 
reject them on that score. : 
A single word in reference to the value of the hairy woodpecker 
to every fruit-grower, despite a popular prejudice that strangely 
enough is still extant in many portions of our country, which ő 
expression in ther tion and ext ination system adhered 
by presumably educated men. True, the Count de Buffon pin 
in most sombre colors the entire family as “ being condemne? 
. i ipi xis- 
Nature to incessant toil and slavery, dragging outan insipid § E 
