468 Stockard, Woodpeckers and Vultures in Mississippi. \qzx 



In I goo a Flicker's actions under very peculiar conditions were 

 observed. On April 18 a burrow of a Flicker containing only one 

 fresh egg was found. The egg was not disturbed. When visit- 

 ing the nest again on April 28 a flying squirrel was found in 

 possession. On my arrival the bird was at the entrance of the 

 burrow peering in at the intruder. It was supposed that the 

 squirrel was eating the eggs, but on examining the nest it was 

 found to contain one spoilt ^^g. The squirrel had then proba- 

 bly been in possession for the ten days since the nest was ob- 

 served, so the bird had been unable to enter and lay ; thus only 

 the one egg was present, and not having been properly cared for 

 had spoilt. The Flicker must then have remained about her 

 nest for this length of time, and as soon as the squirrel was re- 

 moved she again took charge. On visiting the nest May 5, seven 

 days later, it contained seven fresh eggs and the old one that had 

 been left. Thus she had laid an egg each day since getting back 

 to her burrow. The eggs were removed to see if she would con- 

 tinue laying, but she did not. This was undoubtedly a case of 

 discontinuous laying unless she had dropped her eggs on the 

 ground while the squirrel was occupying the nest. It seems 

 strange that she did not produce the second set, for although she 

 may have laid every day only seventeen eggs could have been 

 dropped, which is far short of the Flicker's ability in many cases. 

 This is the third instance, while watching twenty-eight pairs of 

 these birds, of a failure to lay a second set in the same nest after 

 the first had been removed. The Flicker was found, in this sec- 

 tion, to dig a new burrow each season, and was not seen to use an 

 old burrow or a natural cavity for nesting. Several pairs were, 

 however, observed nesting in the roof crevices of attics. 



Dryobates pubescens. Downy Woodpecker. — Several 

 nests of this species were observed, the birds being rather com- 

 mon in the State. No observations were made on their second 

 laying, but the nesting sites were found to be very similar. One 

 or two burrows were seen in almost horizontal branches with 

 their entrance on the lower side, so that the cavities were practi- 

 cally parallel to the ground. The earliest complete set was found 

 April 20, 1900; fresh eggs were not found after May 18. 



Melanerpes erythrocephalus. Red-headed Woodpecker, 



