LAND BIRDS. 367 



in September. At Grand Rapids it is a common migrant, particularly in 

 spring, while in many of the southern counties it is said to be more frequently 

 seen in winter than at any other season. Dr. Atkins found it rather common 

 at Locke, Ingham county twenty-five years ago, and states that at least 

 three pairs nested there in 1884. Mr. F. H. Chapin noted it several times 

 in Eden township. Lake county, north of 44°, in 1896, and Major Boies 

 saw it several times on Neebish Island in the St. Mary's River, where he 

 says it undoubtedly breeds. This is north of 46°, and the northernmost 

 record for this species in the state. Major Boies' record has been ques- 

 tioned, but he is perfectly familiar with the species from long residence at 

 Hudson, Lenawee county, where it is fairly common, and there is no reason 

 whatever to doubt his identification. It is also certain that at most points 

 in Michigan where the species occurs regularly it is distinctly a migrant, 

 the greater number certainly moving northward in spring and returning 

 southward in the fall. Since it is well known that this bird winters in 

 southern Michigan frequently and without hardship there is no obvious rea- 

 son why it should not spend the summer as far north as it pleases. It is not a 

 very conspicuous bird and ordinarily is decidedly shy, seldom coming into 

 orchards or parks, but preferring the heavier growths of the river bottoms, 

 especially where beech and oak are the prevailing trees. 



Undoubtedly it nests in Michigan wherever it occurs, but we have few notes 

 of nests actually found. Dr. Gibbs states that on May 15, 1873 he found 

 a nearly completed nest in Kalamazoo county, about six feet from the 

 ground, in a stump, and saw both the birds at work. The late Richard 

 B. Westnedge took a set of eight eggs from a dead elm stump in Kalamazoo 

 county, May 25, 1892. This nest was thirty feet from the ground, and the 

 hole was one and one-half feet deep. Samuel Spicer of Goodrich, Genesee 

 county, says this bird is rather common in that vicinity and nests. He 

 took one set of eggs from a hole in a sugar maple between 1881 and 1885, 

 and found another nest in a basswood but did not take the eggs. J. B. 

 Purdy, of Plymouth, Mich., took a set of five eggs, April 26, 1889, from a 

 hole in the top of a tall beech deep in the forest. Jerome Trombley, of 

 Petersburg, Monroe county, took a nest of four fresh eggs at that place, 

 May 23, 1882. It was forty feet up in a basswood stub. The hole was 

 about a foot in depth, two inches in diameter at the entrance, enlarging to 

 four or five inches at the bottom. Miss Harriet H. Wright, of Saginaw 

 writes as follows: "Last June (1907) I found a pair of Red-bellied Wood- 

 peckers nesting here in an old oak tree at the edge of a piece of woods. 

 Watched these birds until they were feeding young. I have never before 

 found them nesting here, have seen them during migration only." The eggs 

 are pure white, polished, unspotted, and average .96 by .71 inches. 



The little that is known of the food of this species indicates that it is very 

 similar to that of the Redhead. Twenty-two stomachs examined at the 

 U. S. Department of Agriculture, and reported on by Professor Beal, showed 

 that vegetable matter formed 74 percent of the food, and animal matter 

 (all insects) the remaining 26 percent. Ants formed 11 percent, large 

 beetles 10 percent, and the remainder consisted of various insects. The 

 vegetable food is quite varied, but fruits are conspicuous and the bird 

 seems to be particularly fond of seeds of the poison Rhus, since they were 

 contained in six stomachs and formed twelve percent of the entire food 

 of the 22 birds. 



In Florida, at least in some sections, this bird is known as the "Orange 

 Sapsucker" and "Orange Borer," owing to its fondness for oranges. It 



