1892
July 7
(No 5)
Concord, Massachusetts.
[margin]History of Flicker's Nest.[/margin]
Mass
  Concord. - trunk I learned but little of their domestic
economy.
  The accident to the stump happened June 23rd at about noon.
An hour or two later I climbed the tree and looked
down into the Flicker's nest which was now entirely
open at the top. In the bottom lay five young of
about the size of a plucked House Sparrow and perfectly
naked. Their eyes were tightly closed and I judged
them to be at that time not more than a week old.
They were writhing and shivering perceptibly the air
being cool and damp at the time. I watched the
nest for nearly an hour but no old bird came to it
and before I left the place a cold rain storm began
and lasted through the following night. Hence when
I left Concord the next morning I supposed that
the young Flickers had been deserted by their parents
and would speedily die.
  But, [delete]after my return[/delete]on the morning of July 1st when
I next visited the nest,[delete]I found[/delete] all five young proved
to be alive and vigorous. In fact they had more than doubled
in size and were now well feathered on the head
and body while the quills and tail feathers were
sprouting. The eyes of course were now open. With all the
upper mandibles was [were] broadly tipped with ivory
white. This [delete]white mark[/delete]looked so exactly like the
hardened, spear-like process which enables young
birds of any (?) species to chip their way out of
the shell and which they often  wear on their bills
for several days after hatching that it was not
until I had taken several of these Flickers from
the nest and passing my finger along the bill