THE BIRD OF MANY NAMES 
intrusion. Monsieur decided to abandon 
stratagem, and came down into the half- 
finished hole once more. Again the chips 
flew swiftly, interrupted only by pauses to 
look out at us. 
Suddenly a flicker flew across the meadow, 
alighting on a tree a hundred and fifty feet 
away, and called. Instantly the worker 
stopped and listened ; a second call, and 
without a moment ’s hesitation he flew to 
the side of the new-comer, and from there 
away for his breakfast. I waited to see 
Madam take his place at the work, and in 
about ten minutes she was there, coming so 
silently and secretly I could not tell how or 
from where. By the absence of the black 
cheek patches, I knew her to be the female. 
After she had worked half an hour a similar 
call was heard from the same tree across the 
meadow, and in response to it she flew away, 
though not to that part of the woods. With 
little delay and no stratagem this time, the 
male came back to resume his labor, evi- 
dently believing he was beyond our reach. 
II i6i 
