146 The Wilson Burj.ETiN, No. 72-73. 



evidently was not familiar with the inside of a Flicker's nest, 

 where they fig"ht like little demons at times. Some broods are 

 much more quarrelsome than others. Their battle-ground is 

 in the vicinity of the hole. The one in possession of the hole 

 maintains his supremacy there by occasional withdraw-als of 

 his head from the hole in order to deliver vigorous blows on 

 the heads of all within his reach, causing- them to shrink down- 

 ward. This is the case with the stronger ones, the weaker 

 ones frequently are driven from the vantage place. When the 

 hole is large enough for two to thrust out their heads together, 

 they draw within after the serving of a meal and fight furious- 

 ly, while a waiting third may slip up and gain the coveted hole. 

 l*)Ut all their fighting days seeem to be confined to a few in the 

 fourth week of their lives. 



They have other occupations besides fighting during the last 

 ten or twelve days spent in the nest. Preening themselves 

 comes first, immediately followed by the amusement of running 

 out their long tongues. This organ is extended the length of 

 an inch and a half from the tip of the bill which seems extreme 

 for such small birds. It is run over the wall of the nest, 

 through each others feathers, or over a hand introduced into 

 the box. The tongue is extended straight out from the bill, 

 and the withdrawal is straight backward at times, but at other 

 times it is whipped around almost at right angles to the bill, 

 then disappears like a flash. They peck good-naturedly at 

 each inher and at their own toes ; they hammer with the point 

 of the bill, and of course they sleep much of the time either on 

 the bottom of the nest or clinging to its walls. In sleep the 

 head rests in various positions ; when it is turned backward 

 one can see exactly where the bill is placed ; on these half 

 fledged little creatures there is a naked strip between the feath- 

 ers of the dorsal tract and those growing on the wing, upon 

 this naked surface the bill rests, hence not under the wing but 

 back of it — paraptcnuini, beside the wing, describes it.. 



The tables of growth give the daily weights of the nestling 

 Flickers from the time thev were hatched until thev left the 



