A YOUNG NATURALIST, 



111 



rocks, and the stream will have renewed its course. If 

 chance should ever lead us again to this spot, the rich foli- 

 age and flowers would almost prevent our recognizing the 

 desolation which now impresses us so much." 



I crossed the stream, in order to reach our bivouac by 

 the opposite bank to that which w T e had hitherto followed. 

 Suddenly a noise, like a mallet striking the trunk of a tree, 

 attracted our attention. 



" You told me just now there w r as no one but ourselves 

 in the forest," cried Lucien. 



" Chut !" replied I'Encuerado ; " it is nothing but a large 

 woodpecker." 



And each of us glided under the bushes and tried to get 

 near the winged workman, who so loudly betrayed his pres- 

 ence. . Ten minutes elapsed, but all was silent, and the ob- 

 ject of our search appeared to have moved off. In fact, we 

 were about to give up the pursuit, when three blows, struck 

 at regular intervals, resounded near us. 



The Carpintero (carpenter), for such it is called in Mexi- 

 co, has very brilliant yellow eyes, red feathers upon the 

 head, while the body is dark-colored streaked with white. 

 It climbs easily up the trunks of trees, resting upon its tail- 

 feathers. At length we observed it, and as we looked, ad- 

 miring its plumage, it again struck three resounding blows, 

 and ran round the tree as if to inspect the other side. 



"The fool!" muttered PEncuerado; "he thinks he can 

 pierce a tree as thick as my body with three pecks of his 

 beak ! He'll soon be eaten." 



And he fired at the bird and hit it. 



" I say, papa, did the w r oodpecker really want to pierce 

 this big tree ?" 



"No, my boy; that is a popular but unfounded idea. 

 The woodpecker strikes the trees in order to frighten the 

 insects that are concealed under the bark; and the action 



