IN FEATHERS AXD FUR. 113 
I must tell you a little story about a great feat of one of these 
birds that lived near a lady who was very fond of them. Or rather 
I will let her tell it herself. 
Here it is. 
"A grand old oak, gnarled, twisted and partially decayed, 
stood near the house. A pair of these Woodpeckers were dis- 
covered trying to chisel a hole in it for resting purposes, and we 
lent our assistance to consummate matters. At the bottom of the 
cavity we sawed out a square block of a size to admit the hand, drove 
a nail partly into it for a handle, then replaced it carefully. In a day 
or two a lovely large white egg, with a translucent shell, pale hued 
by the yelk within, was laid in this cozy nest by the Woodpeckers. 
When the second one was deposited we gently withdrew the mov- 
able block and removed it. For forty-two successive days there- 
after we repeated that sly piece of robbery, securing forty-two 
delicate, pearly eggs, laid in that same nest by that single Madame 
Woodpecker. At the end of that period she got sick of the 
business and departed. ' It was too bad,' tender hearts will mur- 
mur, who never think of commiserating the fowls in the barnvard 
whose nests are habitually rifled. 
" We kept the eggs as the loveliest of ornaments, on a bed of 
pink cotton on the parlor mantel. At last they addled, and fell into 
the disagreeable habit of exploding like bomb-shells and scattering 
their not rose scented contents all about the room. Then they had 
to be thrown ^way." 
