40 THK FLICKER. 



the depth of a cavity in an ash tree as but ten inches in '*^n, 

 and deepened to twenty inches in '97, in both cases containing 

 eggs. 



An old nest is frequently used, thereby escaping days of 

 hard labor, it being not uncommon for a pair to return year 

 after year to the same cavity. Some years ago the late Dr. 

 Willard L,. Maris found it nesting in a hole in a tree situated 

 in an open field near Melford, Penna., where for three or four 

 3'ears it successfully reared its broods, and after an interval of 

 .some three or four years he again examinad the nest — May 

 10, '94 — and was not disappointed in finding it occupied, but 

 whether by the same pair it is of course impos.sible to say. 

 This is but one of man}^ instances of the kind. Messrs. James 

 B. Purdy, J. N. Clark, James Savage and others have al.so 

 made note of it. 



Many of our birds owe to the Flicker their cozy homes in its 

 deserted and oft times partly demolished breeding chambers. 

 It occasionall}' furnishes nesting sites to at least one species of 

 Ducks — Bufflehead i^Chai-itonctta aIbeola')\ all of our smaller 

 cavity nesting Hawks and Owls — Pigeon {Falco columbarius) 

 and Sparrow Hawk {F. sparverhis) and sub-species, Saw-whet 

 {Nydala acadica) and Screech Owl [Mega scops asio) and sub- 

 species ; .several Woodpeckers — Downy ( Djyohates piibcsccns ) 

 and Red-head {Melancrpcs crythroccphalus); one Flycatcher — 

 Crested {Myiarchiis crinitiis)\ one Sparrow — European House 

 {Passer domesticus)\ at least two Swallows — Tree ( Tachycincta 

 hicolor) zwdi Purple Martin {Progne siibis); our only cavity 

 nesting Warbler — Prothonotary {Protonotaria citrea); many 

 of our Wrens — Baird's ( Tluyothorus bezvickii bairdi). House 

 ( Troglodytes aedon ) and sub-species ; Nuthatches — White- 

 breasted (Sitta caroliiiensis) , Red-breasted {S. canadensis) and 

 Brown-headed (5'. //^.y/Z/i?); Titmouse — Tufted {Parus bicolor), 

 Black-capped {P. atricapilliis) and Carolina [P. carolineusis); 

 and Bluebird {Sialia sialis). 



Composition* The lining or bed upon which the eggs are 

 placed has been found to consist invariably of fine chips, 

 probably the last made in smoothing up the chamber. If the 

 wood is extra .soft and punky, few if any fragments may be 

 present, at other times some of the eggs will be almost buried 



