Oliver H. New

“ After about ten minutes both male and female birds appeared, and danced about on the trunk and the branches of the tree close to the hole, their antics being most amusing to watch. Presently the female bird perched upon a horizontal branch slightly below the level of my line of vision, and I actually observed the male bird tread her for some seconds. ”

“ On the two following days I again watched the male bird tapping on his pine-wood sounding-board, and was struck by the fact that the interval between each series of taps was longer than when I had first observed it earlier in the month. ”

“ There is another hole about two inches above and slightly to the left, which was commenced first, but subsequently abandoned in favour of the completed one. The reason for this is evident, as the face of the unfinished hole is perfectly soft and rotten, and the bark, being gone, it was unsuitable; whereas the face of the other hole is sound and firm. In this instance there is only one entrance to the nest, and not, as is said to be sometimes the case, two or more. ”