to this I had daily started one or other of the Flickers 
from the neat as I passed it on the way to my boat-house, 
but beyond the fact that their hearing was so keen that, tread 
as softly as I might, I could never quite reach the tree 
without alarming them and that during t-ls period (when, as 
will presently appear, incubation must have been constantly 
going on) they were frequently at work pecking at the inside 
of the trunk, X learned but little of their domestic economy. 
The accident to the stump happened June 23rd at 
about noon. An hour or two later X climbed the tree and 
looked down into the Flicker*s nest which was now entirely 
open at the top, la the lot torn lay five young of about the 
size, of a plucked House sparrow,and perfectly naked. Their 
eyes were tightly closed aid I judged them to be at that 
time hot more than a week old. ' They were writhing arid 
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 yrung 
Flickers had been deserted b/ their Parents and would 
speedily die. 
Put on the morning of July 1st, when. I next visited 
the nest, 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 herd and body, while the quills bad tail-feathers were 
sprouting. The eyes of course were now open, ill the' upper 
