Pileated Woodpecker 365 



dug straight downward I could not discover, as there was iio knot nor other 

 indication of especially hard wood that would seem to turn the builders aside. 

 Nevertheless, the bottom of the hole, where, on a layer of fine chips, the eggs 

 and young must have rested, was at least 4 inches to the right of the entrance. 



This nest was found in one of the innumerable hammocks which surround 

 many of the lakes in central Florida. Here the heavy growths of oak, magno- 

 lias, hickory, and gum make an ideal home for these timid Woodpeckers. 

 The birds are still abundant in suitable regions of that state, but one should go 

 to the primeval forests to find them, for they do not like woodlands that have 

 been cut over, and it is very rare to see one in the open pine-barrens of the 

 sandy country. 



Next to the giant Ivory-billed, which is now almost extinct in the United 

 States, the Pileated is the largest of the Woodpecker family found in this 

 country. In order to get a somewhat accurate impression of its size, one 

 may think of it in comparison to a Crow. From tip of bill to tip of tail 

 the Common Crow is about 18 inches, and when the wings are spread to their 

 greatest extent, the distance from tip to tip is about 27 inches. The same 

 measurements for the Woodpecker under discussion are 17 inches in length 

 and 275^ inches across when the wings are expanded. There is, however, 

 much individual variation in the length of both birds. For example, the Wood- 

 pecker ranges in size from 15 inches to 19 inches and the expanse of wings 

 varies in different individual birds from 25 to 30 inches, so it is a perfectly 

 truthful statement to say that the Pileated Woodpecker is as large as a 

 Crow. 



The eggs of this species, like those of all other Woodpeckers, are glossy 

 white. They range in number from four to six, and in size measure about i^ 

 inches in length and a little less than an inch in width. The period of incuba- 

 tion is eighteen days. The young are hatched naked and are extremely help- 

 less. They do not leave the nesting-cavity until the wing-quills are well grown 

 and the birds are quite able to fly. The parents take turns incubating the 

 eggs, and it is said that if the one on the nest desires to leave, it will call its 

 mate and remain in the hole until the other comes. 



The food of the Pileated Woodpecker is composed largely of insect life. 

 It is very fond of grubs, wood-boring beetles and ants, especially those species 

 that make their homes in dead wood. To procure this food the Woodpecker 

 has developed remarkable skill as a woodcutter. It will attack a dead tree or 

 log and in half an hour will leave a pile of chips of which a less ardent worker 

 might well be proud. Often fragments of wood as large as one's hand may be 

 seen where the bird has been at work, and I once measured a combination 

 chip and splinter more than 14 inches in length. While engaged in this car- 

 penter work, the Pileated Woodpecker is not always the shy bird we some- 

 times think it to be. One frequently may approach in the open woods to 

 within a few rods of a feeding bird, and often, when startled, its flight may 



