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(jThe pair of Downy Woodpeckers which have haunted 
the tree close to the house are preparing to nest in a 
dead limb of the old elm at the east end of the shed. I 
heard one of them at work there about 10 o’clock this 
morning and the light, muffled sound of its blows went on 
almost unceasingly from then until sunset. Every few 
minutes the bird would come to; the mouth of the hole and 
eject a quantity of small chips,not all together but one 
or two at a time until a score or more had been dropped, 
when it would back down out of sight and resume its tapping. 
The hole is v ery small. I do not understand how the birds 
can have carried it down so far without attracting my 
notice for I have been constantly employed directly under 
the tree during the past two weeks. Another curious fact 
is that I saw the pair copulating on the afternoon of the 
17th. While thus engaged, the female sat perched cross- 
ways on a twig and one or both birds made a low chattering 
cry. I did not once see the bird leave the hole to-day 
and I could not make out its sex. 
M 
