New-York tribune., 1901-09-22
FITCEERS AND BOBOLI\K )
Ir!-uRTs IN NEW-JERsEY To SAVE
THEM FROM ENTERMINATiON.

l,ro-bjf.harn. president of the NeW-Jersey
Board Of Commissioners. issued u pamphlet re-
entity in which he says:
~ many years we have striven to have
uu:af.n open and close season as far as pos
st,I. We have attained this now, the genera
o-sa aoason being The months % NoNelhuer anu
Jta..f f1Ner To permit the shooting Of hitkerS OF
any other kind Of birds IN Sept embei ana 3 o."
ber would mean great destrnch|h "l "tn ar
KINDS g game. for it would be rSed 'S w, tna
ran; for every Niolator of the law to he IN W the
woods during thoSe months. II - true th'tl ~ III.
L., permits the billing of WoodCock IN tclo"ci
lut ,,.ol,ocll are 10 he found. in sWanpS ana
u.f&Ly places aId not where WoouP'' hei9 i''i N3
-. b,,,., I believe that a man who would
shoot the useful flicker would shoot guam on
its r,st I am glad that the legislature ana not
succeed in its attempt to leGaIlZe ihe SlduFntci
OF one OF the most useful of our Wlid blfuS' anu
! sincerely hope that the next legislature VIII
wipe ont every evidence of any such attempt
ever having been made.
He speaks Of two kinds Of men who go into
the woods With Il gun -sportsmen and pothuht-
ere" Against the spoitsmen he thinks no laws
necessary but as to the others he says:
Unfortunately there in nearly all com
munities beings who go to the WOODS not Ior
lha purpose of healthful recreation but elthcr lor
the love of killing desire 10 make money.
1t is these who must be restricted Inc HIle
has passed long since in New-Jersey when game
was so abundant that it could be trapped for
the market without danger OF eXterhinauoii
and we will all agree that something ought to be
done to restrain the man who would XIII use
ful animal for the mere sake OF gratifying ms
tavage disposition to shed blood Ihese are the
men who have made fish and game laws
necessity.
F. NJ Chapman. of the American Museum OF
Natural History. said that he knew that the
protective law would do much good. There is
no excuse, in his opinion, for killing the flicker
for food purposes because the flesh is not ten
der but rather OF a coarse nature.
The flicker is known in the Western part OF
the United States the golden winged wood
pecker The family is distributed through the
United States from the Atlantic Coast 10 the
Rocky Mountains. There it is replaced By the
red shafted flicker The flicker is a genuine
woodpecker but differs from the rest Of the
family Like the downy and hairy woodpeck-
ers. it eats woodboring grubs and ants but It is
not always seen in high places. FlickeTs often
build their nests in dead trees only few feet
from the ground.
There about one hundred and twenty four
aliases for the name OF the bird. In Mime
sofa the flicker is known the "antbrd,' in
Of the Northern States he is misnamcd
big sapsucker." In Pennsylvania cotton
rump" is the popular name. In some Of the
Western States. because OF the prominent black
crescent the birds breast, il is called "cres-
cent bird" English ooIpecl-er' is the Long
Island name and in Massachusetts ne is called
'Inddler,' because of his peculiar SeeSdW mo
tion while courting in early spring Golden
shafted flicker and golden flicker and gold
}n shafted woodpecker" names used in and
Dear New-York In Canada high holer"
high holder is the popular name for the bird.
lnd this was given account OF the lofty
situation of the nests The name silver dollar
bird is used in Pennsylvania. The birds white
rump. which he shows conspicuously when fly
Ing, is probably the source Of the name. Tap
ing bird is a New-Engand name given to the
flicker account of his flying motion. which
writer says is up and down like measuring
tape The bird has also been called weather
hen" because it becomes very active just be
fore or after storm
The flicker is a shy bird. but frequently APP
proaches buildings in the country yet it prefers
the tops of trees where it burrows and builds
its nest. Sometimes the lower branches seem
more attractive, and, despite the reputation for
partiaIty to lofty nests and the name high
holder" the flicker often builds within n few
feet Of the ground The bird is prolific and
there usually from six to ten young in
brood 1t is the most terrestrial of all the wood
peckers, despite its high perching and high nest
ing procvties, and often walks about like "a
meadow lark.
The tongue Of the Woodpecker is horny pointed
and has sharp barbs with which it may catch
its food but the fickcr's tongue is free from
the barbs. 1t is provided with glutinous coat