Colautes aura tug luteus . 
Concord, 
1899. 
May 13. 
Mass. Peculiar behavior . 
Pound a Flicker at work excavating a hole in an apple 
tree in Bensen's orchard!) this morning). I was passing the 
tree within six feet when I heard a low tapping accompanied 
by a continuous muffled whining sound. Turning I at once saw 
the bird's tail projecting from the hole which was not over 
five feet above the ground. For a minute or more the peck- 
ing and whining continued, the tail wriggling violently the 
in 
while. Evidently the bird had carried the hole to just that 
point where she had less room to work than she had had before 
or would have afterwards. In other words she had just about 
reached the point where the entrance hole must begin to be 
expanded into a chamber and to turn downward. It seemed to 
me that the whining sound expressed rage or impatience. Per** 
haps it is the Flicker's form of swear ingl Unfortunately the 
bird heard me as I was trying to start off a little way to 
get behind the next apple tree and flew off in alarm. I had 
to move away for had I stayed she would certainly have come 
out of the hole with a mouthful of chips in the course of a 
minute or two and discovered me. The male Flicker was "shout- 
ing" about 200 yds. off. 
