188 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 101 



ANOTHER UNUSUAL LAYING OF THE FLICKER. 

 {Colaptcs anratus luteus.) 



BY B. R. BALES, M.D. 



The records of the laying of a large number of eggs by 

 the Flicker have always been of great interest to, me, and I 

 had often determined, should the occasion present itself, to try 

 to " break the record." Not until the present year did I find 

 a nest favorable for observation. On May 2d, 1917, my son 

 and I found a nest, which consisted of a hole, excavated by 

 the birds, but six feet from the ground, in a dead limb of an 

 apple tree, which was standing in an orchard, some distance 

 from the road, and in a place not likely to be disturbed by 

 inquisitive boys. 



On the date discovered, it contained one ^gg. It was again 

 examined on May 4th, at which time there were three eggs 

 in the nest, two of which were taken and one left in the nest 

 for a " nest &gg." Each day thereafter, one egg was taken, 

 leaving one in the nest. 



On May 10th, a " nest egg " was left as usual, but when 

 the nest was examined on the 11th, the " nest egg " was gone, 

 but the bird was seen about the tree. To facilitate the re- 

 moval of the eggs quickly and to avoid disturbing the birds 

 by being about the tree for any length of time, we had re- 

 moved the top from the stub wherein the nest was located, 

 thus making a rather large hole, and a skulking crow, seen 

 in the neighborhood of the tree, could probably have told us 

 of the fate of the " nest egg." 



On May 13th, we noticed the bird near a natural cavity 

 in the living wood in the same tree, but about ten feet higher 

 than the original nest. May 14th, we cut out a block of 

 wood near the base of the cavity, and found it to contain 

 three eggs, two of which were taken, again leaving a " nest 



egg." 



Each day thereafter, one egg was taken and one left, un- 

 til May 26th, when my son (who did the climbing) discov- 



