Flicker 201 



all through these bird biographies that the 

 structure and colouring of every bird are 

 adapted to its kind of life, each member of the 

 same family varying according to its habits. 

 The kind of food a bird eats and its method of 

 getting it, of course, bring about most, if not 

 all, of the variations from the family type. 

 Each is fitted for its own life, "even as 

 you and I." 



Like your pet pigeon, the hummingbird, 

 and several other birds, parent flickers pump 

 partly digested food from their own stomachs 

 into those of their himgry babies. Imagine 

 how many trips would have to be taken to a 

 nest if ants were carried there one by one! 

 How can the birds be sure they will not thrust 

 their bills through the eyes of their blind, naked 

 and helpless babies in so dark a hole ? It must 

 be very difficult to find the mouths and be sure 

 none is neglected. Like the little pig you all 

 know about, I suspect there is always at least 

 one little flicker in the dark tree-hollow that 

 *'gets none" each trip. 



