122 PHILLIDA AND CORIDON. 



and bis mate gamboling about the branches of 

 some old tree, calling in soft, affectionate tones, 

 Wick-a-wick, wick-a-wick ; then you will con- 

 fess that, whatever failings the golden-wing 

 may have, he is not to be charged with insensi- 

 bility. The fact is that our " yellow-hammer " 

 has a genius for noise. When he is very happy 

 he drums. Sometimes, indeed, he marvels how 

 birds who haven't this resource are able to get 

 through the world at all. Nor ought we to 

 think it strange if in his love-making he finds 

 great use for this his crowning accomplishment. 

 True, we have nowhere read of a human lover's 

 serenading his mistress with a drum ; but we 

 must remember what creatures of convention 

 men are, and that there is no inherent reason 

 why a drum should not serve as well as a flute 

 for such a purpose. 



" All thoughts, all passions, all delights, 

 Whatever stirs this mortal frame, 

 All are but ministers of Love, 

 And feed his sacred flame." 



I saw two of these flickers clinging to the 

 trunk of a shell-bark tree ; which, by the way, 

 is a tree after the woodpecker's own heart. 

 One was perhaps fifteen feet above the other, 

 and before each was a strip of loose bark, a sort 

 of natural drum -head. First, the lower one 

 "beat his music out," rather softly. Then, 



