Taverner and Swales, on Birds of Point Pelee. 135 



92. *Colaptes aaratus liiteus. — Northern Flicker. 



Not commou during our May dates. Ttiose seen tlien likely rep- 

 resent the breeding population. One seen March 9, 1907. During 

 September it has always been one of the most abundant birds of the 

 Point. Keays reports a flight in 1901 when he noted four hundred 

 September 21. 



The Sharp-shin flights discommoded this species less than any other 

 species of small birds. The Flickers never resorted to concealment of 

 any kind as other birds did, but frequented the most conspicuous 

 places in the dead trees, from whence they shrieked their loudest, 

 as is their wont. Though at times they seemed uneasy and restless, 

 they were perfectly able to take care of themselves and easily made 

 their escape when attacked. On the other hand the hawks seemed 

 aware of the futility of successful pursuit, and after a few half- 

 hearted dashes usually desisted. The usual course of proceedure of 

 the Flicker, when attacked by a hawk, was to wait until the last 

 minute, when the hawk, in its swoop, was just about to seize its 

 victim, and then dodge quickly to the other side of the limb. In 

 every case observed the ruse worked perfectly, and we found only 

 once the feather remains which proved that once in a while the hawk 

 was a little too quick for the Flicker. 



93. *Antrostomus caroUnensis. — Chuck-wills-widow. 



The capture of this bird. May 21, 1906, by Fleming, in the red ce- 

 dar thickets near the end of the Point, forms one of the most inter- 

 esting records for Pelee and one that is unique in Great Lakes Orni- 

 thology. The bird was flushed from near the roadside at the feet of 

 Fleming and Swales, and lit again in full view of them both and 

 calmly waited for them to warn Taverner out of the line of flre and 

 then collect it in due form. The bird was a male and forms the first 

 Canadian record of the species. See Auk, XXIII, 1906, 343. 



94. * Antrostomus vociferus. — Whip-poor-will. 



A common bird. We have always heard one or more during the 

 May nights, while in camp in the red cedar thickets, when they 

 would I'epeat their plaintive refrain until early in the morning. In 

 our various September visits we have usually found them more or 

 less common, but at that season they are much quieter, and seldom 

 do more than call a few times in the early evening and then cease. 

 Sometimes one will be heard again through the night, but more often 

 not. September, 1905, beginning the 4th, we saw from one to six until 

 the 13th, when a great flight of them appeared on the Point. That 

 day, in the red cedar thickets near the extremity of the Point, we 

 flushed thirty between twelve and half-past one in the afternoon. 

 They all left that night, as the next day, on the same ground, we 

 were able to put up but three. 



