]()() TuR Wilson IJi'i.i.ktix, No. 'I^-Io. 



lieve him to be the timid FHcker that l^egan roosting in the 

 west hole in August, 1906, but soon changed to the east hole : 

 that he came again the next summer, and before the middle of 

 July had cleared out a boxful of trash carried in by English 

 Sparrows, but did not begin to roost there until August 3, 

 then, excepting a few nights, was a regular lodger until Sep- 

 tember 29. By the end of that season he had become quite 

 fearless. 



Of all our birds the Flickers are the earliest to retire at 

 night, sometimes going to their lodgings an hour before sun- 

 down, the customary time being about a half hour before sun- 

 set. Generally they g'o out soon after sunrise, but on cool 

 autumn mornings they have been known to linger much 

 longer. During a rainstorm in the middle of the day they 

 have been seen to seek their apartments, also in fine weather 

 they have been found there enjoying the seclusion thus af- 

 forded. It sounds like a simple matter to say that barring 

 about two dozen nights a certain Plicker roosted in the barn 

 every night from April 19 to October 2, yet this ascertain- 

 ment involved an examination of the holes from the outside 

 once every evening for six months, sometimes three or four 

 times if the visit be made too early, if too late then a loud 

 clapping of the hands may be insufficient to wake the heavy 

 sleeper, and a sharp blow on the barn wall or a continuous 

 bombardment with any convenient missiles may be necessary 

 to force the lodger to show himself. To examine the boxes 

 from the inside too greatly disturbs the birds. Many unsuc- 

 cessful attempts were made to see just where and how the 

 Flicker roosted in the box ; at last the fearless male fur- 

 nished the much sought opportunity. Not far from the hole 

 he clung to the u])per edge of the siding", and slept with his 

 head turned backward, his bill resting- in his interscapulars. 



In the summer of 1908 three Flickers roosted in the barn ; 

 the one in the east hole was timid, making it difficult to learn 

 of his movements; however, it is certain that he went to roost 

 there at least half of the nights from July 12 to Seotembet 



