Where there is a convenient resting place on which it can spread out and attach itself, the stalk throws out feelers and rootlets, which fasten securely to the wall or brickwork; then, this being a normal growth, there is a separation at intervals of about a foot.  That is, the stalk grows in one month about twelve inches, and if it has support, the middle woody stalk continues to grow about an inch further, but has no green, succulent portion, in fact, looks like a stem; then the other monthly growth takes place, and ends with a stem, and so on indefinitely.  Our house was entirely covered by the stems of such a plant, and the flowers were gorgeous in the extreme.  The perfume, however, was so potent that it became a nuisance.  Such is the Night-blooming Cereus in the warm climates, and similarly the Candelabra Cereus grows in stalks, but architecturally erect, fluted like columns.  The flowers are large, and resemble those of the night-blooming variety.  Some columns remain single, and are amazingly artificial appearing; others throw off shoots, as seen in the picture.  There are some smaller varieties that have even more of a candelabra look, there being clusters of side shoots, the latter putting out from the trunk regularly, and standing up parallel to each other.  The enormous size these attain is well shown in the picture.

Whenever the great stalks of these cacti die, the succulent portion is dried, and nothing is left but the woody fiber.  They are hollow in places, and easily penetrated.  A species of woodpecker, Melanerpes formicivorus, is found to have adopted the use of these dry stalks for storing the winter’s stock of provisions.  There are several round apertures seen on the stems in the pictures, which were pecked by this bird.  This species of woodpecker is about the size of our common robin or migratory thrush, and has a bill stout and sharp.  The holes are pecked for the purpose of storing away acorns or other nuts; they are just large enough to admit the fruit, while the cup or larger end remains outside.  The nuts are forced in, so that it requires considerable wrenching to dislodge them.  In many instances the nuts are so numerous, the stalk has the appearance of being studded with bullets.  This appearance is more pronounced in cases where the dead trunk of an oak is used.  There are some specimens of the latter now owned by the American Museum of Natural History, which were originally sent to the Centennial Exhibition at Philadelphia.  They were placed in the department contributed by the Pacific Railroad Company, and at that time were regarded as some of the wonders of that newly explored region through which the railroad was then penetrating.  Some portions of the surface of these logs are nearly entirely occupied by the holes with acorns in them.  The acorns are driven in very tightly in these examples; much more so than in the cactus plants, as the oak is nearly round, and the holes were pecked in solid