I l6 BoLLES, I'oung Sapsiickcrs in Captivity. [April 



around it, and all three drank at once. They consumed more 

 than a tablespoonful of the diluted syrup between 7 and 11 a. m. 

 Ordinarily they disposed of eight teaspoonfuls each during the 

 twenty-four hours. Part of this evaporated, and part was proba- 

 bly secured by black ants which visited the cage by night. On 

 August 25 I did not give the young Woodpeckers any syrup until 

 late in the day. Then I offered syrup and insects at the same 

 time. They ignored the insects and drank long and often of the 

 liquid. Later they ate the insects. I kept a dish of water in 

 their cage all the time, but they were seldom seen to drink from 

 it. 



On September 4 I placed the Woodpecker's cage in a fin- 

 ished room in the barn and opened their door to see what they 

 would do with limited liberty. Number Three showed the effects 

 of former freedom by coming first to the doorway and perching 

 in it. After a moment One flew out past her and bumped against 

 the window pane. Ten minutes elapsed before Two came out. 

 Then they flew back and forth from window to looking-glass, 

 curtains to woodwork. I handled them freely, and they seemed 

 to have no feeling of fear. They clung to my fingers, and 

 perched upon my shoulders. All the interior finish interested 

 them, and they hammered wood and glass, paint and plaster with 

 vehemence. One of them hopped back and forth over the board 

 floor, striking it now and then as if it had been a great log, pros- 

 trate. Three caught a few of the many flies in the room, but 

 showed no eagerness over them. The others scarcely tried to 

 catch them. That night they slept in separate corners. In the 

 night I lit a candle and looked at them. They awoke, squealed, 

 and Three came to the syrup and dipped twelve times. The red 

 on her head seemed brighter day by day. I also noted that Two 

 was growing more vellow below. On September 6 I noticed that 

 One and Three were together while Two remained much alone. 

 He seemed to be moulting. During the next fortnight 1 let the 

 birds out once or twice each day and watched them closely. 

 Three was the only one which seemed to care much about catch- 

 ing house flies, and she secured very few. Black ants visited the 

 cage at night, and occasionally I heard the birds moving about a 

 great deal although their cage was as dark as it could well be 

 made. By September 1 1 Three had transferred her aflections 

 from One to Tw^o. The latter's plumage had by that time be^ 



