PICUS THE FLICKER 169 



fruit juice and put it on the bark of a tree here and there. 

 After a few hours I go back to the trees to see what is 

 feeding it. When the insects have had time to find it, I 

 am quite sure to discover many insects every time I make 

 my rounds. Of course most of them are just ordinary 

 varieties that I do not care for, but sooner or later I find 

 something worth while. 



Now Mr. Sapsucker^s feet and legs are not formed so 

 as to permit him to go into the meadow and catch insects 

 like a mocking bird or a robin^ and yet he must live. 

 Therefore he pecks holes in limbs and then comes back 

 from time to time and feeds on the insects the sap has 

 attracted. He knows full well when the sap will flow in 

 the various trees and does very little drilling when the 

 sap is not running. However, I must not spend too much 

 time on woodpeckers in general but must get back to Picus. 



Picus continued his drumming on the old tin can at 

 intervals during the day, and early the second morning 

 we were again wakened by his tattoo. Evidently there was 

 a flicker maiden somewhere in the woods who heard and 

 came to see what sort of gentleman it was that could drum 

 so much louder and make so much more wonderful music 

 than any of the young gentlemen of her acquaintance. 

 Surely a bird which could peck like that ought to be able 

 to provide grubs in abundance for a family. At any rate 

 when I peeped out the second morning to see Picus drum, 

 I saw this maiden alight on a limb just above his drum. 

 Here she danced about in the characteristic flicker man- 

 ner and attracted the attention of Picus, busily engaged 

 as he was in beating his drum. Clearly it was a case of 

 love at first sight on his part for he immediately left the 

 » can and alighted on the limb not six inches from her 



