366 LIFE HISTOEIBS OP NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



natural tree hole or in a Flicker's old nest site. If for any reason the Flicker 

 wishes to retain his previous year's nest site, and Scops is in possession, strife is 

 carried on between them with great vigor, ending as often in favor of one as 

 the other, judging from the broken eggs upon the ground ejected by the victor. 

 The Flicker dares not enter to turn Scops out, but if the premises are vacated 

 for ever so short a time, he enters and holds them against all comers. His 

 formidable bill pointing out at the door is sufficient apology for leaving him 

 in quiet possession.' 



"About the middle of April is the usual period for the eggs, which are 

 from three to five in number. The nest is usually a sparse gathering of 

 wing and tail feathers of small birds; in some instances no litter of any 

 kind is present. As a rule, the first two or three eggs are laid on consecu- 

 tive days, with intervals of two, three, or more days between the third and 

 last one or two, as the case may be. The female is always in charge, and 

 at no time leaves the nest while sitting or while her brood is very young. 

 She is waited upon and fed by the male, who, being a skillful hunter, pro- 

 vides liberally for her wants. Searching for nests I have sometimes discov- 

 ered the male hidden in a tolerably well stocked larder, in close proximity 

 to the nest site. In one cache were portions of a Bluebird, a mouse, and a 

 frog; in another a Junco, a Tree Sparrow, and a minnow 3£ inches long; 

 claws and legs of crawfish were also present. In a few cases I have dis- 

 covered the male sitting upon a bough close to the stem of a cottonwood 

 tree, perfectly motionless, with eyes almost closed as if asleep, the pupil of 

 the eye closed to the merest slit, but with ears erect, and all alive to the 

 danger threatening his sitting mate close by; in this well selected position, 

 his colors and markings so nearly resembling the rough corrugated bark of 

 the tree, he seemed to have the fullest assurance of security against obser- 

 vation. 



"The female is a close sitter. To induce her to leave her nest is a 

 difficult matter unless she has been frequently disturbed and understands 

 what is meant when she hears the tree grappled in climbing it. She will 

 then fly out. Otherwise you will have to take her off her eggs. In some 

 instances she will feign dead and lie on her back in your open palm with 

 her eyes shut. Immediately you throw her off, however, she will right her- 

 self on wing, and gaining a bough on a neighboring tree will crouch forward, 

 bending her eartufts back and look very spiteful and wicked. At other 

 times when removed from her eggs she will snap her bill, moan slightly, 

 and show fight. Both male and female indulge in the screech, which differs 

 but little from that of their eastern cousins. Its sharp distressing notes can 

 be heard of a still night a mile distant. 



"The lately hatched young are clothed in beautiful white down. In 

 the latter part of June, before they are well able to fly, they may be seen 

 sitting side by side, perfectly motionless, upon a limb close by the nest site. 

 The young and their parents seem to desert their holes and live among 



