The Birds and Poets 31 



more common, high-hole, clape, yellow-hammer 

 and golden-winged woodpecker, and, while he is 

 listed in the family of picidae, he has never seemed 

 to me a true woodpecker. With characteristic 

 independence he constantly disregards almost all 

 the accustomed and well-known habits of his 

 tribe. Contrary to the custom of woodpeckers, he 

 is frequently seen disporting himself in the grass, 

 often in the company of robins or meadowlarks. 

 More often than otherwise he alights upon a hori- 

 zontal limb of a tree, rather than upon an upright 

 stem or trunk, after the manner of his kind. Now 

 and then, just contemptuously to show the world 

 that it is easily done, he flies against the side of 

 a tree, like a common woodpecker, grasps the 

 bark with his claws, and supports himself in an 

 upright position, with the aid of his heavy, stiff 

 tail feathers. Nor does he depend for his food 

 upon grubs pecked out of dead limbs, but, like 

 the robin, he seems to find worms and insects 

 more easily. He is extremely fond of ants, and 

 eats seeds and a great variety of food which the 

 red-head, hairy or downy woodpecker would not 

 touch. For a nest he always appropriates some 

 natural cavity, instead of boring a hole for him- 

 self, like his brother woodpeckers. I have won- 

 dered that Darwin did not cite the flicker as an 

 instance of variation from type, and speculate 

 upon his ultimate destiny as a member of some 

 other family. He seems dissatisfied with his class, 

 and destined for some other and dififerent order. 



