THE NORTHERN FLICKER. 350 
is in progress, and the love-making of the Flicker is both the most curious 
and the most conspicuous of anything in that order. An infatuated Flicker 
is a very soft and foolish-looking bird, 
but it must be admitted that he thor- 
oughly understands the feminine heart 
and succeeds in love beyond the luck 
of most. A bevy of suitors will lay 
seige to the affections of a fair 
lady, say in the top of a syca- 
more tree. Altho the rivalry 
is fierce, one gallant at a time 
will be allowed to display his 
charms. ‘This he does by ad- 
vancing toward the female 
along a horizontal limb, bow- 
ing, scraping, pirouetting, 
and swaying his head from 
side to side with a rythmical 
motion. Now and then the 
swain pretends to lose his 
balance, being quite blinded, 
you see, by the luster of 
milady’s eyes, but in reality 
he does it that he may have 
an excuse to throw up his 
wings and display the daz- 
zling cloth of gold which 
lines them. The lady is dis- 
posed to be critical at 
first, and backs away 
in apparent indifference 
or flies off to another 
limb in the same tree. 
This is only a 
fair test of gal- 
lantry and pro- 
vokes pursuit, 
as was expect- 
ed. Hour after 
hour, and it 
may be day after day, the suit is pressed by one and another until the maiden 
indicates her preference, and begins to respond in kind by nodding and bowing 
Photo by 
the Author. 
Taken near Columbus. A LOWLY NEST. 
