THE FLICKER. 133 



Mr. Manly Hardy, of lirewer, Maine, writes me: "I once found one asleep 

 on the outside of a tree, late in the evening. I was traveling hv moonlight, and 

 knowing the exact looati(m of the nest in a small poplar, decided to visit it. I 

 walked close inider the Itird, without apparently waking him, and then struck the 

 tree a blow with a clul), which I felt sui-e would stun him, l)ut he flew oft' all 

 right. There was no bird inside of the hole, so he slept outside, clinging to the 

 ti'ee, from choice. This proves that they can and do sleep in this way. In blue- 

 berry time they congregate in tlocks — I have seen at least thirty at once — and at 

 such times their entrails are dyed blue from the fruit eaten. I have fed the 

 young with strawberries when they were still in their nest, being obliged to put 

 the first into their bills; but after that they ate them greedil)', and would scratch 

 up to the hole and look out when they heard me coming, acting just as if it was 

 the old bird which was feeding tliem." 



Niditication in the southern portions of its range begins ordinarily in the 

 last half of March, and in the north from four to full\- six weeks later. Both 

 sexes assist in the construction of the nesting site as well as in incubation, and 

 the male usually does his full share of work at both. According to Dr. William 

 L. Ralph's observations in Florida, the male usually sits on the eggs durino- the 

 night. In the South fresh sets of eggs may be looked for during the first week in 

 April; in the vicinity of Washington, District of Columbia, during the first half 

 of ilay, and in the more northern parts of its range, in Alaska and the North- 

 west Territory, about the first ten days in June. 



Flickers breeding in Florida are generally somewhat darker colored and 

 smaller than those from the more northern States, and this latter dift'erence is 

 especially noticeable in the eggs. From five to nine eggs are usually laid to 

 a set, mostly six or seven; but considerably larger ones are sometimes found, 

 possibly the product of two females laying in the same nest; but the fecundity 

 of this Woodpecker is known to be very gi-eat. Prof B. W. Fvermann took 

 not less than thirty-seven eggs from a pair of these l)irds (oiit of the same 

 nest) between May 4 and June 22, 1885; and a still more reinarkal)le instance 

 is recorded in the "Young Oologist" (Vol. I, June, 1884, p. 2(1), liy Mr. Charles 

 L. Phillips, of Taunton, Massachusetts, who found two eggs of this bird in a 

 cavity of a large willow on May 6, 1883, of which he took one, leavino- the 

 other as a nest egg; and he continued to do this day after day until the poor 

 bird had laid seventy-one eggs in seventy-three days. Mr. Steward Ogilby, of 

 Staten Island, New York, also reports, in "Forest and Stream" of June 2.''), 1885 

 (p. 427), finding a brood of not less than nineteen young Flickers in one nest, 

 all alive and apparently in good condition. It seems almost impossible for a 

 single bird to cover and hatch such a number of eggs, but the fact that the 

 young were apparently well fed and in good condition is still more remarkable, 

 and the parents must certainh' have had a busy time to nrovide for such a large 

 familw 



The eggs of the Flicker are glossy white in color, and when fresh appear 

 as if enamele(l; tiie shell is very close gi-ained and exceedingh- lustrous, as if 

 l)olished. resendding the eggs of the Ivory-billed and Pileated \\'(iod[)eckers in 



