WITH BROWN PREDOMINATING 191 
sects brought are masticated by the parents. The adult, 
coming with food, lights on the tree at one side of the 
nest-hole, and instantly the small doorway blossoms with 
two or three grotesque heads, mouths wide open and 
ready. Meanwhile all the infants are joining in the 
buzzing chorus that announces their hunger in language 
plainer than speech. The parent inserts his bill into the 
throat of each one in turn, shaking the nestling back and 
forth vigorously. When all have been fed, he retires 
behind the tree trunk out of sight, to wait until the hub- 
bub subsides and to determine whether any of the young- 
sters are still hungry or are only crying from habit. 
After they are old enough to leave the nursery, they 
follow their parents about for nearly two weeks, begging 
to be fed and gradually learning to hunt for themselves. 
This lesson is wisely taught by the parents, who place 
the food under a crevice in the bark, in full sight of the 
young, who must pick it out or go hungry. The baby 
cocks his head wisely, looks at it, and proceeds to pull it 
out and dine. 
Flickers are essentially ant-eating woodpeckers, and 
consequently are seen upon the ground oftener than any 
other variety. They run their long bills down into the 
ant-hills, and, extending their spiny, sticky tongues still 
farther, withdraw them covered with eggs and _ larvee. 
* wicker-wicker-wick-wick- 
Their call-note is a_ shrill 
. 9”) . . . 
wick,” and sometimes, when angry, a high, screaming 
“hii-k-ha.” The wooing of a pair of these birds is the 
most ludicrous performance that can be imagined, and 
well worth watching. 
