Mr. Northern Flicker? Mr. Northern Flicker? Haven't they returned yet? 

 Mr. Northern Flicker? Oh ! excuse me, I didn't realize that you were calHng me. 

 I expected to hear, High-hole, Yellow-Hammer, Wake up, Yarup, or some other 

 of the thirty or more nicknames that cling to me. I remember hearing my 

 mother tell me, when I was little, that my right name was Northern Flicker, but 

 I hear it so seldom I did not know to whom you were speaking at first. 



/ see you have a black mustache, black patch on breast, and are barred on 

 top and speckled underneath with black. You have the tell-tale woodpecker red 

 patch on nape of neck. Please allow me to lift my wings so you may see the 

 underside. What beauties! Golden Yellow! No wonder you are called Golden 

 Winged Woodpecker. When did you return from the South? A few days ago. 

 Hozv long will you stay? Until about the middle of October. / understand that 

 you are a very polite bird. Please, your honor, we do bow a great deal. What 

 do you eat? Our favorite food is ants. We pick nearly all of our food up from 

 the ground. How do you pick up your ants? I thrust my long sharp bill into an 

 ant hill. The ants rush out. Then I thrust out my long tongue, which looks 

 something" like an angle worm and is coated with sticky saliva, and lick up the 

 ants by the dozen. I also eat beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, and caterpillars. 

 I also eat some weed and grass seed. Do you do any damage? Well, we- some- 

 times have to bore into cottages and barns for a nest, if trees are not around, but 

 if you people would put up suitable bird boxes we would gladly use them. Thank 

 you, we will remember this fact and provide you with boxes. You may go. 



Attention all. This meeting has been very gratifying to me. Now just once 

 more before we leave, let me name over the list of Wisconsin woodpeckers in 

 the following order, the common first and rare last. Downy, Redhead, Northern 

 Flicker, Yellozv-bellied Sapsucker, Arctic Three-toed, Hairy, Northern Pileated, 

 Red-bellied, American Three-toed and Northern Hairy. Ten in all. Six plentiful 

 and the other four rare. That is a good shoiving. 



Before you leave for your homes I ivant you all to help yourselves to a good 

 dinner. I realized that I could not prepare a meal to your taste, so I picked this 

 place zvhere I thought you all might find food to your liking. I thank you all 

 kindly for your courtesy in coming here and your giving me the information of 

 your families. In return Til try to interest the boys and girls in you, and know 

 that they zvill do all in their pozver for your protection. I zmsh you all good 

 morning. 



Note: The above can be used as an exercise in which each bird is repre- 

 sented by a pupil. 



295 



