260 USEFUL BIRDS. 



While this bird often excavates a hole for a winter shelter, 

 it sometimes sleeps exposed on a tree trunk. Mr. Bailey 

 and I once watched one that slept for many winter nights on 

 the north side of a tree trunk in a thick grove. It attached 

 its claws to the bark and went to sleep in much the same 

 position in which it ordinarily climbed the tree. It inva- 

 riably went to the same tree at night, and was found in the 

 same place at daylight each morning. 



Northern Flicker. Golden-winged Woodpecker. Pigeon Woodpecker. 

 Yellow Hammer. Partridge Woodpecker. Wake-up. Gaffer Wood- 

 pecker. High-hole, High-holder, etc. 



Colaptes auratus luteus. 



Length^ About twelve inches. 



Adult Male. Brown above; a scarlet crescent across the nape of the neck; top 

 and back of head gray ; back and wings barred with black ; rump white ; 

 quill feathers of wings and tail black above, golden-yellow below ; sbafts 

 of both wing and tail feathers yellow ; throat pinkish-brown, running to 

 buff on the breast, sides, and belly, which are marked with round black 

 dots ; a black crescent on breast, and a black patch on each side of head 

 just below gape. 



Adult Female. Similar, but without the black "mustache." 



Nest. A hole in a tree, from four to forty feet from the ground. 



Eggs. Glossy white. 



Season. Resident; not very common in winter except hi southeastern Massa- 

 chusetts. 



The Flicker, our largest and most common Woodpecker, is 

 well known, in some one or more of its various forms, over 

 the greater part of temperate America. It has over thirty 

 vernacular names, a few of the most common of which are 

 given above. A loud wick, wick, is the Flicker's announce- 

 ment that spring has come. Its amorous wick'-er, w\ck'-er, 

 wick'-er, sounds from the orchards in early spring, as the male 

 birds play about in curious antics, each trying in friendly 

 rivalry to outdo the other in the display of his golden beauty, 

 that he may thus attract and hold the admiration of the 

 female. There is no fighting, but in its place an exhibition 

 of all the airs and graces that the rival dandies can muster. 

 Their extravagant, comical gestures, rapidly changing atti- 

 tudes, and exuberant cries, all seem laughable to the onlooker, 

 but evidently give pleasure to the birds. Their notes on 

 such Occasions have considerable variety, and are all pleasing. 



