76 BULLETIN 174, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



to the average ornithologist, the young of both sexes, after the crown 

 patch is lost and the cockades have not appeared, would be indis- 

 tinguishable. 



Food. — The food, like that of most woodpeckers, consists primarily 

 of larvae of various wood-boring insects, although beetles and grubs 

 of other kinds as well as ants, grasshoppers, crickets, and caterpillars 

 are frequently taken. An interesting habit of the red-cockaded wood- 

 pecker is that of going into the cornfields throughout the South at the 

 time when the corn is at the roasting-ear stage and when many of the 

 ears are infested with a worm that damages the grain to a very con- 

 siderable extent. This habit is reported by Billy Ward (1930), of 

 Timmonsville, S. C, and by Edward Dingle (1926), of Mount Pleas- 

 ant, S. C, who says, "The Ked-cockaded Woodpecker {Phreno'picus 

 horealis) is very commonly found in cornfields during the time the 

 corn is in the ear ; in fact, the bird spends a large part of its time at 

 this season in extracting the worms that bore into the ears of corn. 

 I have often, at short distance, watched them engaged in this valuable 

 work." They also feed on pine mast, the small wild grape, poke- 

 berries, and other small wild fruit. I have never seen them in orchards 

 or in fig trees, where the red-headed woodpecker is frequently found 

 feeding. 



As far as is known, this species does not visit cultivated fields, ex- 

 cept as above referred to, or orchards and is not destructive to fruit 

 and deserves to be regarded as wholly beneficial. This statement takes 

 into account the fact that a number of observers say that they will con- 

 tinue to bore into certain pines that they have selected for a nesting 

 site until the tree is killed. The fact is, however, that the tree is 

 diseased and unsound before the woodpecker begins to utilize it and 

 is already worthless for lumber, so that this species seems w^orthy of 

 complete protection. 



Behavior. — The bird is strikingly gregarious as compared with 

 other woodpeckers and is ordinarily to be found in small groups 

 of six, eight, or even ten individuals, which seem to keep in con- 

 tinuous touch with one another, calling back and forth, sounding 

 their drum roll on resonant timber and apparently not satisfied un- 

 less assured of the near presence of the group. 



This behavior is no doubt due to the fact that the family remains 

 together until early in winter, although family groups are probably 

 joined by other individuals until the number above referred to is 

 attained. Numerous observers speak of the frequent association of 

 the red-cockaded woodpecker with other birds. This to the mind of 

 the writer, however, is purely accidental and is due to the fact that 

 there are certain species of birds that inhabit the open pineries and 

 -have common feeding ground and habitat. It is true that one often 

 sees bluebirds, tufted titmice, white-breasted and brown-headed 



