70 BULLETIN 17 4, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



wings, and from which it differs in its smaller size, much smaller feet, and 

 clearer white markings of head. The present form is near true pubescens of 

 the Southern States, but differs from it in having much less white on the wings, 

 the coverts and tertials of pubcscens being conspicuously and often heavily 

 marked with white. * * * 



The willow woodpecker in a typical form breeds from Los Angeles and 

 San Bernardino counties north in the coast ranges to San Francisco Bay, and 

 along the west slope of the Sierra Nevada at least to Yuba County. Inter- 

 gradation with gairdneri occurs over the coast region north of San Francisco 

 Bay and in the mountains at the head of the Sacramento Valley. 



Grinnell, Dixon, and Linsclale (1930) say of the haunts of the 

 willow woodpecker in the Lassen Peak region : "Downy woodpeckers 

 were seen most often close to streams and in orchards. Their forage 

 places included the limbs or small trunks of willow, alder, cotton- 

 wood, sycamore, valley oak, blue oak, digger pine, and yellow pine 

 trees." 



Nesting. — Major Bendire (1895) writes: "Mr. Charles A. Allen 

 informs me that it breeds in the oaks and willows along the Sacra- 

 mento River, Calif., but that it is not common. Its breeding sites 

 seem to be confined to deciduous trees, preferably dead ones, or old 

 stumps, and besides those already mentioned, sycamore and cotton- 

 woods are occasionally used. Their nesting sites are rarely found 

 at any great distance from the ground, usually ranging from 4 to 

 20 feet up and rarely higher." 



W. L. Dawson (1923) says : "Willow woodpeckers, in the wild, place 

 their nests at considerable heights in deciduous trees, and those, if 

 possible, among thick growths on moist ground. Both sexes assist 

 in excavation, as in incubation. Partially decayed wood is selected, 

 and an opening made about an inch and a quarter in diameter. After 

 driving straight in for an inch or two, the passage turns down and 

 widens two or three diameters. At the depth of a foot or so the 

 crystal white eggs are deposited on a neat bed of fine chips. Incuba- 

 tion lasts twelve days, and the young are hatched some time in May." 



Eggs. — The willow woodpecker lays three to six eggs, more com- 

 monly four or five; it may occasionally lay seven, as some of the 

 other western races have been known to do. The eggs are typical 

 of the species. The measurements of 40 eggs average 18.74 by 15.20 

 millimeters; the eggs showing the four extremes measure 22.3 by 

 15.7, 18.4 by 16.3, 17.3 by 14.5, and 18.0 by 14.4 millimeters. 



Food. — Mr. Dawson (1923) writes: 



It is as an orchardist that the Willow Woodpeclter deserves the most careful 

 consideration. Bird-lovers are, perhaps prone to superlatives in commending 

 their friends, but it is safe to say that a more useful bird for his ounces than 

 the downy woodpecker does not exist. He eats not only ants and the larvae of 

 wood-boring beetles, but scale insects, plant lice, and the pupae of the detest- 

 able coddling moth. The evidence is clear that these incomparable tree experts, 

 together with their friends, the nuthatches, the chickadees, and the creepers. 



