280 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



sucker, which will be discussed later. As this work is done in the au- 

 tumn when the sap is net running, it is evidently not that fluid which 

 the bird is seeking. If this is not done to secure the insects, but to ob- 

 tain some portion of the tree, it is evidently the cambium layer of the 

 bark. The writer has examined scores of fruit trees on which the 

 Downy has thus demonstrated his ability as a chiseler of bark, but has 

 never seen one which died from the attacks. In fact, one close observer 

 declares that the trees thus favored with the Downiy's attentions seem to 

 be actually invigorated rather than injured. 



The amount of work which this bird is capable of doing in a day is 

 truly wonderful. Mr. Vernon Bailey of Washington, D. C, once 

 watched a bird of this species as it went about its daily toils. He found 

 that between the hours of 9 :40 a. m. and 12 :15 p. m. it traveled about 

 over one hundred and eighty-one trees and made twenty-six separate 

 excavations for food. 



All persons interested in the preservation of forests must be friends 

 of this bird. It eats the vers' destructive bronze birch borer, the maple 

 borer and the pine weevil. This last-named insect infests particularly 

 the buds of the topmost shoots of pine trees, thus causing the tree to 

 constantly send out side shoots, which, of course, makes a crooked tree 

 and largely destroys its value for lumber. 



Although about three-fourths of the food of the Downy has been 

 shown to consist of insects, it eats in their seasons certain berries and 

 wild fniits. It has been known to feed upon buds and petals of flowers, 

 wild strawberries, pokeberries, poison ivy berries, sumac berries and 

 beech nuts. 



FLICKER: "yellow HAMMER:" {Colaptes auraius) . 



Upper parts brownish gray, barred with blaclv ; rump white ; top of head ashy 

 gray, a scarlet hand (in the male) across the back of head; inner surface of wings: 

 yellow ; tail black above, yellow below, with black tip ; a broad black crescent on 

 breast; belly and sides thickly spotted with black. Length, about 12 inches. 



Range. — North America, west to Rocky Mountains and north to Alaska. 



Nest. — In cavities of trees. 



Eggs. — Four to seven, glossy white. 



No bird in America has so many local names as the Flicker. Some 

 of these are Higholder, Wake-up, Walk-up, Pigeon, Woodpecker and 

 Yawker-bird. At Cape Hatteras it is generally called Wilchrisen. It. 

 is one of the best known of our native birds, and this fact, together with 

 its loud, characteristic calls, has doubtless given rise to the various names 

 by which it is known. The Flicker is exceedingly sociable at times, and 

 has the habit of entering the barns and other outbuildings. While a 

 student at the University of North Carolina I knew Flickers to fre- 



