SUMMER BIRDS OF SHAW'S GARDEN. 47 



others Pigeon Woodpecker, and the books have it as Yellow- 

 shafted, Yellow-winged and Golden-winged Woodpecker. 



Fortunately the Garden harbors two pairs of Flickers and 

 from their return to us in March till July their several calls, 

 love and alarm notes, were among the sounds most commonly 

 heard. Neither in feeding nor in their ludicrous courtship 

 did the pretty birds in the least endeavor to evade observa- 

 tion, allowing near approach. Such a behavior is much at 

 variance with that in places where shooting is going on, as 

 for instance around Creve Coeur Lake, where Flickers have 

 learned that constant vigilance is the price of Hberty and hfe, 

 and where you see the poor birds at ease only on the highest 

 tree tops. Ordinarily Flickers feed mostly on the ground, 

 their favorite food being ants, but beetles, weevils, grass- 

 hoppers and other insects constitute part of their diet, mixed 

 with some vegetable food in the shape of wild fruit, grass and 

 weed seeds. Since ants are a pest in a garden, protecting 

 and spreading the destructive aphids or plant lice, the Flick- 

 er's activity is very welcome. The FHckcr is too well known 

 to need description, but it may not be amiss to say that it 

 may easily be known even at a great dstance by its white 

 rump. 



CHiMXEY SWIFT. Chaetura pelagica. 



Though not frequently seen to enter chimneys on the 

 premises. Swifts arc in the air above the Garden most of 

 the time from their arrival in April till their departure in Oc- 

 tober. They are attracted to the place by the trees among 

 which many insects find shelter in cool, rainy or windy weather. 

 Being on the hunt all the time, they are good indicators of 

 the whereabouts of winged insects; on warm, calm days, espe- 

 cially in sultry weather and before a storm they are circling 

 at great heights; on windy days and after rains we see them 

 fly low over the ground, and when the air is too dry and cool 

 over the land, they join the Swallows over the water. Except 

 during incubation we seldom see one Swaft alone; they are 

 very social birds and their great power of wing allows them to 

 indulge their social tastes to a great extent and yet find enough 



