The hole was thirty-five feet from the ground, and such a fall as that would have broken a thousand eggs, had that number been in the cavity.
About two months later, I was in the vicinity of this tree, and saw in a neighboring tree a large hole resembling the first. I did not climb to the hole, for from all appearance, the brood had hatched and were gone. I think this hole was excavated by the same pair of birds.
On May 21st, I was collecting in a large strip of woods, about a quarter of a mile from town, when I saw in a live maple an excavation of H. pileatus. I climbed up and found the nest contained four young birds and one nearly fresh egg. This is a beautiful egg, glossy white, and measures 1.25×.95 inches.
During the time I was in the tree, both old birds were perched not far off, and every now and then would utter their harsh cackle.
Later in the season I found another nest of this bird; it was in a live maple, twenty feet from the ground. The young birds had flown.
A Day’s Collecting.
BY H. C. COOK, POTSDAM, N. Y.
On the 23d of May, last season, my chum and myself started out for a good solid day’s work in the field. We took our climbing irons, egg-boxes and a big lunch, for it has been our experience that it makes a fellow awful hungry to walk eight or ten miles and shin up as many trees before dinner.