SOUTHERN DOWNY WOODPECKER 45 



leave their nests, and soon after make a partial migration downward towards 

 the lower border of the pine belt, in common with many other birds that breed 

 at high levels. 



Nesting. — I can find no references to the nesting habits or eggs of 

 this subspecies, which probably do not differ materially from those 

 of the Chihuahua woodpecker, except that J. S. Ligon told Mrs. 

 Florence M. Bailey (1928) that it nests "generally in small trees in 

 canyon beds." 



Eggs. — The eggs of this subspecies are apparently similar to those 

 of other hairy woodpeckers. They seem to be scarce in collections; 

 I have been able to locate only two sets of eggs, one set of four and 

 one set of three. These seven eggs show average measurements of 

 24.66 by 17.91 millimeters; the eggs showing the four extremes 

 measure 25.3 by 18.2, 24.6 by 18.6, 24.2 by 18.2, and 24.6 by 17.2 

 millimeters. 



Food.—'MrQ. Bailey (1928) quotes Ma j. E. A. Goldman as follows: 



One afternoon I found one pecking at a hole near the ground in the trunk 

 of an oak. It worked for a second or two and then paused long enough to 

 look in my direction, beginning work again immetliately. This was repeated 

 several times and it seemed disinclined to leave the spot, allowing me to 

 approach to within ten feet, when, instead of flying off, it slid around to the 

 opposite side of the trunk while I examined the place and found the hole in- 

 habited by numerous small black beetles which were running excitedly about. 

 I moved off a short distance and watched the Woodpecker return to the hole 

 which seemed to be a rich find. 



She goes on to say : 



On Chloride Creek in May, 1916, when Mr. Ligon was standing by a half dead 

 box elder containing a woodpecker nest, the mother came with her bill for half 

 its length jammed full of wood ants for the squawking young inside the hole. 

 One that Mr. Kellogg took at Silver City had recently eaten two woodboring 

 larvae, six caterpillars, and at least ten moth pupae, besides other insects and 

 mast. 



DRYOBATES PUBESCENS PUBESCENS (Linnaeus) 



SOUTHERN DOWNY WOODPECKER 



HABITS 



Because the Linnaean name Plcus puiescens was based on Cates- 

 by's smallest spotted woodpecker, of South Carolina, the southern 

 bird becomes the type race of the species, and the above scientific 

 name, which for many years was used for the more northern bird, 

 is now restricted to the downy woodpeckers of the Lower Austral 

 Zone of the South Atlantic and Gulf States, from North Carolina to 

 eastern Texas. William Brewster (1897) has given us a full review 

 of the changes that have taken place in the nomenclature of the 

 downy woodpeckers of eastern North America, to which the reader 

 is referred. 



