50 BULLETIN 174, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Eggs. — The eggs of Gairdner's woodpecker resemble those of the 

 northern downy {medmnus) in every respect but average slightly 

 smaller. The measurements of 34 eggs average 18.71 by 14.51 milli- 

 meters; the eggs showing the four extremes measure 20.83 by 15.24, 

 20.32 by 16.0, 17.27 by 14.22, and 17.78 by 12.95 millimeters. 



Food. — Johnson A. Neff (1928) had 68 stomachs available for 

 study, mostly Gairdner's woodpeckers from the Willamette Valley, 

 Oreg., and states that — 



the animal food items averaged 82.07 percent of the annual food, and vegetable 

 matter, 17.93 percent. * ♦ * 



At Peyton, in August, the Gairdner Woodpeckers were observed working 

 busily for several days removing the larvae, pupae, and adults of weevils from 

 the stems of common mullen, Verhasciim thapsus. * * * 



During July, 1925, whole families of the Gairdner Woodpecker were observed 

 in the huge cottonwoods which abound near the Willamette River, feeding on 

 aphids and scale. They often numbered as high as ten birds in one tree, and 

 worked from the lowest limb to the highest leaf. While paying some attention 

 to the brandies, their chief interest was in the clusters of leaves ; they clam- 

 bered out each small branch to the group of leaves at the tip, peered under 

 each leaf intently, even swinging around sidewise and up-side down in their 

 efforts. Through the binoculars it was easy to see them remove small objects 

 and, later, stomach analysis showed that most of the objects were scale 

 insects. * * * 



These woodpeckers have yet to be observed doing any injury to a living tree ; 

 the writer has been unable to find any evidence of their doing so in this area. 

 While they nested abundantly in the river-bottom lands in very close companion- 

 ship with true sapsuckers, they were never seen to visit the flowing sap 

 pits. * * ♦ -Sjir^l 



Fruit was hardly touched by these birds; elderberry (Sainhuctis) and Madrona 

 (Arhutus) were the only kinds found, averaging only 0.46 percent of the 

 diet. * * * 



The Gairdner, Willow, and Batchelder Woodpeckers in the orchard are worth 

 their weight in gold to the fruit grower. They should be strictly protected, and 

 every known means of attraction should be used in the attempt to persuade them 

 to remain about the ranches. 



Winter. — Anderson and Grinnell (1903) say that, in the Siskiyou 

 Mountains, Calif., "the Gairdner woodpecker is usually to be found 

 in company with the flocks of mountain chickadees which frequent the 

 black oak groves all winter. The oaks are their favorite working 

 places, but they are also to be seen among the pines and spruces. Six 

 specimens brought home are all quite near gairdneri. The smokiness 

 of the lower surface is not so intense as in skins from western 

 Oregon, but the size, especially of the feet, is decidedly that of the 

 northwest coast form." 



