CHAP. XXVI. 
THE WOODPECKER’S NEST. 
259 
CHAPTER XXVI. 
CONTINUATION OF SOUTH AFRICAN LEGENDS : THE 
woodpecker’s NEST. 
It is well known that the woodpecker builds its nest 
in hollow trees; and the 4 woodpecker taps the hollow 
beech tree ’ not only to seek its food hut to get into 
the hollow of the tree to build its nest. The hole is cut 
into the tree so round and regular that it appears as if 
done by machinery. 
The 4 tat-tat ’ which you hear wherever the bird is, is 
mostly to disturb insects, upon which she feeds, but it is 
often while boring a hole with its bill through the out¬ 
side portion of a hollow tree to get into the cavity in¬ 
side ; and in order to make a foundation there, on 
which to build its nest, and to prevent the eggs from 
falling down the hollow, the bird cuts down and carries 
into the tree a great number of short pieces of stick; 
these are placed across each other in the most intricate 
and ingenious manner ; and the natives believe there is a 
great charm in some of them. Their mode of discovering 
the charmed sticks is as follows : 
s 2 
