• THE FLICKER. 131 



many and rather melodious calls. The males iisiially precede the females a few 

 days, and as soon as the latter arrive one can hear their well-known voices in 

 all directions. ( )ne of their commonest calls at this season of the year is a clear 

 "whick-ah, whick-ah;" another sounds like "qnit-u, (|uit-u," a nundjer of times 

 repeated; "tchuck-up, tclmcdv-up," is another familiar sound uttered by them; 

 a far-reaching- "clape, clape" is also frequently uttered, while a quickly given 

 rolling or r;ittling "tliee-he-he-he-he" and a low "ciick-cack-cack" seem to be 

 the notes of endearment. Another call when coin-ting its mate sounds like 

 "ouit-ouit" and ends with a soft "puij-, puir," or a cooing- "yu-cah, yu-cah," 

 Low, chuckling sounds are also fretjuently uttered during their love making; 

 another common call note sounds like "zee-ah, zee-ah," and during the summer 

 a clear "pi-ack, pi-ack," ov "piuh," is also frequently heard; in fact, no other of 

 our Wt)odpeckers utters such a variety of sounds. 



The Flicker is especially demonstrative during the mating season, and is 

 an ardent wooer. It is an exceedingly interesting and anmsing sight to see a 

 couple of males paying their addresses to a coy and c(((|uettish female; the 

 apparent shyness of the suitors as they sidle up to her and as quickly retreat 

 again, the sly glances given as one peeps from behind a limb watching the 

 other — playing bo-peep — seem very human, and I have seen few more amus- 

 ing performances than the courtship of a pair of these Ijirds. The defeated 

 suitor takes his rejection (piite philosophically, and retreats in a dignified man- 

 ner, presumably to make another trial elsewhere. I have never yet seen a })air 

 of males fi"ht over a coveted female. Few birds deserve our <>-ood will more 

 than the handsome Golden- winged Woodpecker, and it is well entitled to all of 

 the consideration generally shown it. Looked at from an economic jwint of view, 

 it is an exceedingly useful bird, destroying many noxious insects and their larva\ 

 a great man}- of which are gleaned from the ground, as it is far more teiTestrial 

 in its habits than any other mendjer of this family. Its beak is frequently cov- 

 ered with soil from digging in pastures after grul)s and earthworms, and also 

 in ant-hills after these insects or their larvie, of which it is especially fond; it 

 also feeds on haii-less caterpillars. Different kinds of l)erries and fruit, such as 

 cherries, a])ples, ])ersinnnons, strawberries, mull>erri(\s, ras[)l)erries, wild gra[)es, 

 dogwood, whortle, poke, and sour-gum berries, and occasionally green corn, are 

 also eaten by it. The daniag-e it does to cultivated fruits is very trifling, and 

 this bii'd deserves the fullest protection. 



In the northern jjortions of its range nidification begins about a couple of 

 weeks after the birds arri\e from the South, and a suitable place is then selected 

 for a nesting- site. It prefers open country, interspersed here and there with groves 

 and orchards, to the deeper forests to nest in. It is easily pleased in this respect — 

 any old stumj), a j)artly decayed limb of a tree, near the outskirts of a forest, 

 akmg the banks of a creek, beside a country road, or in an old orchard, will 

 answer the j)urpose. A fresh ca\ity is usually excavated every year, but where 

 suitable trees or stuMq)S are not readily available the same may be occupied 

 for several seasons iu succession. In the vicinity of Washington, District of 



