128 
NATURE STUDY. 
Several 3^ears ago, a tract of wild land from which the 
timber had been taken, was burned over, killing some pop¬ 
lars which had been left standing in a clump by themselves. 
These dead poplars were much sought by the woodpeckers, 
who built nests in them until the wood became so decayed 
as to render the old stubs unsafe. Many of these now lie 
prostrate, and the number of the fallen rapidly increases. 
In November, a stub which was nearly ready to fall, was 
pushed over, and being gently lowered to the ground, to 
prevent breaking, a section containing a woodpecker’s 
nest was cut out and taken home for study. There were 
two holes, one eighteen inches above the other. The up¬ 
per hole had been abandoned after being drilled some three 
inches horizontally; the lower excavation was complete. 
Upon removing the front, so as to expose the entire cavity, 
the woodpecker’s nest of fine chips was found at the bot¬ 
tom, resting upon this, was a blue-bird’s nest, and the re¬ 
mainder of the cavity was filled with mushrooms, in every 
stage of drying. The bark and thin wood on the opposite 
side of the tree from the entrance, had become cracked by 
the weather, and the narrow slit afforded excellent ventila¬ 
tion. 
The cavity thus constituted a perfect dry-house for the 
storage of mushrooms. There was no appearance of a 
squirrel’s nest, but that the storehouse belonged to a 
squirrel was shown by the fact that a tunnel had been 
gnawed upward nearly to the upper hole. A red squirrel 
will have, if possible, two doors to his dwelling. He does 
not intend to be caught in a hole if he can help it. Doubt¬ 
less in this case the completion of the tunnel had been de¬ 
ferred because the mushrooms must be gathered while in 
good condition. There were thirty-seven mushrooms in 
the store, comprising five genera that could be positively 
determined. They were all gilled mushrooms, and all 
such as have been eaten at one stage or another by mush- 
