AMERICAN OR.M IHOLOGY 15 



FLICKER.. 



A. O, V. TVc, 4-12. iColaptes Auralus.} 



RANGE. 



Northern and eastern Nortli America; west to the eastern 

 slope of the Rocky Mountains and Alaska. Accidental on the Pacific 

 slope and in California. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Length, 12.5 inches. Extent, 19.25 inches. Tail 4.35 inches. 

 Color, male, bill very dark slate color, eyes reddish brown, top 

 of the head and back of neck slate color, merging into reddish 

 ash at the throat and sides, 'and shading gradually to a dull white 

 on the breast. The back is brown barred with black. There is a 

 crescent-shaped patch of crimson on the back of the head. A patch 

 on the side of the head extending from the bill downward, is black; 

 crescent on the breast, and spots on the under parts and under tail 

 coverts are black. • Tail black, the outer web of the outer feather 

 being barred with ash; also whole of quill, of outer tail feathers, and 

 upper half of the rest; yellow on top, the ends being black; tail be- 

 neath golden yellow, except the tip, which is black. The tail 

 feathers are all pointed and sharp at the tips. The outer wing 

 feathers are black with yellow quills; the remainder are brown, 

 barred heavily with black. The under part of wings golden yellow. 

 Feet bluish ash. 



NEST AND EGGS. 



About the first of April the flickers begin to drill the hole for their 

 nest. They generally select a dead limb for this purpose. The 

 birds take turns in the excavating for a home, and the work pro- 

 ceeds quite rapidly. Sometimes the chips are carried to a distance 

 and deposited, but oftener they are strewn about directly under the 

 nest. They drill into the tree for about four inches, then down- 

 ward to a depth of from six inches to two feet. The flicker deposits 

 her eggs on the chips at the bottom of the hole, rarely lining it 

 with anything, except occasionally with a few grasses. She lays from 

 five to eight oval, white, glossy eggs, which ha\'e a pinkish tint 

 when fresh. The flicker, unlike most birds, will continue laying 

 after part of the eggs are removed; as many as thirty eggs have been 

 taken from the same nest, by removing one each day. 



