NESTLINGS OF FOREST AND MARSH 
choice, and was most heartily amused over 
his awkward but ardent wooing. He had 
chosen a dying oak-tree on the edge of this 
very wood for the trysting-place, and there 
he drummed a roundelay each morning and 
evening. Madam was coy and listened from 
a distance. Then he tried to coax her to 
him by calling, “ Flicker, flicker, flicker,” 
and ‘‘ Quick, quick, quick,” over and over 
again. Finally, when she came lazily, as if 
simply to be amused, he bowed, scraped, and 
swaggered, spread his tail, fluttered his 
golden-lined wings, and wooed her in soft 
undertones. Never had I supposed a flick- 
er’s voice could be so sweet. The same 
mellow tones were afterwards heard when 
this flicker came to feed his young. It 1s 
wonderful how the shrillest bird voices are 
modulated for baby ears. As he looked at 
me now, I seemed to see recognition and 
reproach in his stern unwinking gaze, as if 
he said, ““ Why do you trouble me? Are 
my affairs such a great joke?” 
At length, disgusted at my persistent 
160 
