230 
THE WILSON BULLETIN— December, 1922 
BIRD CHARACTERS AND DISPOSITIONS 
In the March issue of this Bulletin you were told about the White- 
throated Sparrows of 1921. This fall has brought some additional facts 
that are worth mentioning,. 
Number 17042 has shown an unusual disposition for tameness, and 
simply squats down and lets you pick it up to read its number, and is 
very quiet all the time it is held in the hand. Recently, when released 
from the trap she flew to a bush within six feet of the trap and stayed 
there quietly and watched while four new birds were taken out of the 
trap and banded, then, with a few twittering notes, flew to the ground in 
search of more food. 
Number 17070 is a flghter of unusual ability and proclaims it in a 
very loud voice. As soon as the hand is put into the trap he starts his 
challenging, and when the hand gets near he advances to attack, and 
springs on the hand, pecking with all his might, and never gives up a 
single instant while being examined in the hand, and after release flies 
to the nearest branch to sulk and scold. 
The White-throats are acting just the same as last year; about a 
dozen staying around like regular boarders, and we expect we will have 
to feed them until a good storm comes and moves them southward. 
OWL KIDNAPS YOUNG FLICKERS 
A pair of Flickers made a hole in a dead tree close to our house, 
and on June 20, 1920, the three young Flickers that were raised there 
were banded. During the following winter the squirrels enlarged the 
hole and fllled .it with leaves. The next Spring a pair of Flickers came 
to the same hole and scolded for a while, then started a new hole about 
five feet lower down the tree. By making a folding perch just below 
the hole, they were trapped and banded as a mated pair, and on June 2, 
1921, their four young were also banded. 
In 1922 the Flickers came there about the middle of April and 
scolded as before, but finally started a new hole a little to one side of 
the tree, and about an equal distance from each of the old holes. 
On May 2nd a Blue Jay was observed making considerab'e fuss about 
the lower hole, which aroused suspicions, and with the aid of a ladder 
we reached the hole, and found a Screech Owl there. On removal we 
discovered she was sitting on five eggs which were all pipped ready to 
hatch, but fearing she would interfere with our Flicker family, we robbed 
the nest, banded the Owl and took her quite a distance from the tree 
before releasing her. 
We had to be absent from home for about four weeks, and soon after 
our return we were ready to band the Flickers. We had observed that 
the old female wore a band but could not capture her to get the number, 
but the male kept his legs so well covered we were unable to see if he 
was banded. 
On June 11th we started to band the young Flickers. Before we 
got our ladder, we watched the old Flickers feeding the young, and 
observed that the young were so old that the old birds did not enter 
