WITH BROWN PREDOMINATING 191 



sects brought are masticated by the parents. The adult, 

 coming with food, lights on the tree at one side of the 

 nest-hole, and instantly the small doorway blossoms with 

 two or three grotesque heads, mouths wide open and 

 ready. Meanwhile all the infants are joining in the 

 buzzing chorus that announces their hunger in language 

 plainer than speech. The parent inserts his bill into the 

 throat of each one in turn, shaking the nestling back and 

 forth vigorously. When all have been fed, he retires 

 behind the tree trunk out of sight, to wait until the hub- 

 bub subsides and to determine whether any of the young- 

 sters are still hungry or are only crying from habit. 



After they are old enough to leave the nursery, they 

 follow their parents about for nearly two weeks, begging 

 to be fed and gradually learning to hunt for themselves. 

 This lesson is wisely taught by the parents, who place 

 the food under a crevice in the bark, in full sight of the 

 young, who must pick it out or go hungry. The baby 

 cocks his head wisely, looks at it, and proceeds to pull it 

 out and dine. 



Flickers are essentially ant-eating woodpeckers, and 

 consequently are seen upon the ground oftener than any 

 other variety. They run their long bills down into the 

 ant-hills, and, extending their spiny, sticky tongues still 

 farther, withdraw them covered with eggs and larvae. 

 Their call-note is a shrill " wicker-wicker-wick-wick- 

 wick,'' and sometimes, when angry, a high, screaming 

 " hii-k-ha." The wooing of a pair of these birds is the 

 most ludicrous performance that can be imagined, and 

 well worth watching. 



