The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-03-20

The bill of the little tOmtit, though short,
is exceedingly strong, and in the formation |
of their nests they cut away until they get |
an upward winding entrance Even 10
old stone walls there is the same formation. |
An experiment was once made with this
bird to test the power Of its bin, while con
fned in a cage. In a common wire cage
it could not be confined many minutes as
it warped the wires aside, FIRST withits bill
and then with its body, until it got out.
But upon being tried in cage of waxed
thread instead Of wire, and finding II un-
manageable, it attacked the woodwork,
and thrusting in its bill, used it as a wedge
Half the force, had it been at liberty,
would have proved sufficient to have hewed
out nest hole in the trunk Of partial
ly decayed tree. Another one Of these lit
tie carpenters is the nuthatch. The bird
is also mason. The peculiar form,
wodge-like and abrupt ending Of its bill,
makes it very easy to be understood how
this bird may do its work. A nuthatch
having been confined in cage Of oak and
wire, supplied with food and water, eating
and drinking at pleasure, would spend the
intervals in battering the frame Of his cage;
the sound being so great as to be heard in
an adjoining room, with closed doors. He
had special fancy for the corner pillar,
Of his cage; on these be spent his mos
elaborated taps, aud though he had ocou
pied the cage but a day, the wood wa
pierced and worn like a piece of old worm
eaten timber. He probably had an idei
that if the main beams could be takel
down, the rest would fall and free him
Once he succeeded in opening the door
aud when it was tied in double knot wit
a strong cord, the constant application o
his beak quickly unloosened it. At tn
/ open space where the water-cup was placed
4. finding il too small 10 insert his body, h
. would dig and hammer with his pickax
Of beak to enlarge the circle. The han
mering was peculiarly laborious, for he di
Il not perch, but taking hold of the side (
q the cage with his immense feet, swun;
h as it were, on n pivot at every strok,
10 All night, at the interval Of every ten nil
h utes, he kept up his hard work, but befol
!, raorning dawned, he lay lifeless on the aot
h Of the cage, actually dying from over-worl
A Many animals with similar habits Of ca
70 pentry would not have so used them, b.
. would have been distracted aud puzzle
"a out Of their confinement. Woodpecke
of every species are carpenters in the sem
% in which we have used the term; that
they not only bore into trees in pursuit
,s food, in the shape Of insects, bu. chs
"a out holes for their nests. This abode
mr. neither lined with feathers, grass or stra'
ar but the eggs are deposited in the holewit
le out anything to keep them warm.
lv would seem as though, being endowed
n. Providence with such an instinct, th
must take as great pleasure in the cmplo
ment Of these faculties as we do in Il
most agreeable occupations But of
ul the birds which earn their subsistence
1r spoil, none lead life so laborious and
ht painful as the woodpecker. In order
y seek for its food, it is oblidged to bore 4
bark and hard fbres of trees. Neccssi
rs never suffers any interval of labor
IS, never shares in the cheerful sports of 9th
Ge birds; ii win not join 10 their merry son
s but sings its wild, and note 10 the #
Ie est alone.