YOVXG SAPSUCKERS IX CAPTIVITY. 169 



mence. One of them hopped l)ack and forth over 

 the board floor, striking it now and then as if it 

 had been a great log, prostrate. Tliree 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 grow- 

 ing more yellow 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 I let the 

 birds out once or twice each day and watched 

 them closely. Three was the only one which 

 seemed to care much about catching 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 11, Three had transferred her affec- 

 tions from One to Two. The latter's plumage 

 had by that time become quite brilliant ; the 

 yellow and black below, and the red on head and 

 throat, making him a decidedly distinguished 

 looking bird. He made up for all Number One's 

 earlier bullying and browbeating by scolding 



