Dqwhy Wooupbokf/ b. Late in October, 
' 1882, a Downy Woodpecker excavated a 
j hole in an old cherry tree, near a much 
used door in my yard, of the size and shape 
of its usual nest, and occupied it nightly 
for more than six weeks. In April follow- 
! ing a pair of Bluebirds took possession 
and reared two broods of five birds each ; 
; but now, October 2d, ’83, the Woodpecker 
| has occupied his old quarters for several 
j nights, and frequents the locality during 
the day. This habit of the Downy in mak- 
ing a winter home is a new one to me. — 
John 31. Jlowey, Canandaigua , N. Y. 
Q.&O. Vill, Nov. 1883. p, U' 
In a late Atlantic , John Burrough says he finds 
no mention by bird-writers of the Down y Wood - 
p ecker’s habit of drilling a Winter home. In the 
“ O. and 0.” Vol. 8, p. 85 and elsewhere, refer- 
ence is made to this habit. It has come constant- 
ly under my observation since 1875, and as I 
write House Sparrows are breeding in two holes 
in Maples, on Franklin and LaFayette streets, 
which I saw Downies drilling last October — the 
chips falling on the heads of people passing on the 
city sidewalks, rh 
f 0.&0. X. May. 1885. p.^y. 
Downy Woodpecker, (P. pubeseens). 
Common. Resident. Breeds. This, the 
smallest of our Woodpeckers, finds its fa- 
vorite breeding places in old neglected 
orchards. Lays from fouiy^to six pure 
white eggs the last of May or first of June. 
In the autumn of 1876 a friend, who reports 
to me many interesting observations in 
bird life, called my attention to a hole 
which had just been made by a Downy, in 
a solid, dry oak *pte post. It was as 
spacious and complete as though designed 
for a nest, but was never used. The nest 
of the Downy excels in neatness and per- 
fection of work, that of any other Wood- 
pecker breeding in this locality, the hole at 
the entrance often being as round and 
perfect as though bored with an auger. I 
have found this to be the most industrious 
of our Woodpeckers. In the autumn of 
1883 I saw two males, an adult and a 
young, busily engaged in a small cherry 
tree, searching the black knots with which 
the tree was thickly infested. In a short 
time they obtained from the black knot 
over a hundred larvae, all of them being de- 
voured by the young bird. When the 
adult bird found a larva he gaye an almost j 
inaudible cluck, which instantly called the 
young to receive the tempting food. 
O.&O. IX. Nov. 1834. p./ 5*. 
5 
