THE OOLOGIST. 



13\ 



others found in the Northern Statas by 

 their hirge size, being about seventeen 

 inches in length. 



They prefer dead hickory trees for 

 nesting purposes, and the nest is usual- 

 ly situated at a considerable distance 

 from the ground. They commence 

 nesting early in April, and from what 

 information I have been able to obtain 

 I think the u.sual number of eggs is 

 three or four. 



The Red-head is a common summer 

 resident, but is rather rare in winter. 



Several years ago this specie was 

 abundant, but they have decreased 

 greatly in number the last few years. I 

 cannot give any satisfactory reason for 

 this. 



It is true that they receive consider- 

 able attention from the small boy with 

 a gun, but that is not the only reason 

 for their decrease. 



The Red-head is one of the best 

 known species of the family, for it is he 

 who claims the privilege of sampling 

 our choicest fruit and grain. The fin- 

 est ears of corn, the juiciest cherries 

 and the mellowest apples, he seems to 

 I'egard as his ])y right, and never neg- 

 lects to secure his share of them. 



Unlike most of the family he is a lit- 

 tle inclined toward laziness,and prefers 

 a meal of nice fruit, followed by a nap 

 ia the sunshine, to digging for a living. 

 When so disposed they are as expert at 

 catching insects upon the wing as the 

 true Flycatchers. I have observed them 

 to sit for hours in some elevated situa- 

 tion, ever ready to cap turc any insects 

 that chance to ci-oss their field of vis- 

 ion. 



When other food is scarce they not 

 unfrequently visit the corn-crib for 

 corn. They often carry away more 

 than they can consume, and secret it in 

 various nooks and creyices for future 

 use. 



Nevertheless, their bad 'qualities are 

 more than balanced by the good, and 

 the small quantity of fruit and grain 

 that they consume is amply paid for by 



their presence and the number of nox-. 

 ious insects that they detroy. They 

 commence nesting about the middle of 

 May. 



Trees that stand in open fields bor- 

 dering on woods are,preferred for nest-, 

 ing purposes. The eggs arc almost in- 

 variablj' five in number. 



The Red-bellied Woodpecker is rath- 

 er rare and is mostly seen in winter. 



They usually confine themselves to. 

 the woodlands, and feed on the variouSi 

 insects to be found there together with 

 dogwood berries, etc. The nest of thi^ 

 species is rarelj'^ found here. 



A nest found bj^ the writer a few 

 j'ears ago, contained four nearly fresh 

 eggs about the middle of May. The nest 

 was an excavation in a dead limb of 

 a beech, and was situated at a height of 

 about thirty feet from the ground. 



The Flicker is the commonest of our 

 Woodpeckers. Only a few remain 

 through the winter. 



At the commencement of the breed- 

 ing season, their call is to lie heard in 

 all directions. Unlike the rest of the 

 family they feed much upon the ground 

 When obtainable ants seem to be their 

 favorite food. They ax-e also very fond 

 of wild cherries and green corn. In 

 winter they subsist upon berries and 

 such insects as [are to be found at that 

 season. 



The bill is not as well adapted to ex-, 

 cavating in wood, as in other species 

 and they prefer to obtain their food by 

 other methods. The nesting cavity 

 does not show the fine quality of work- 

 manship that that of the little Downy 

 does. They commence nesting about 

 May 1st and sometimes consume from 

 ten days to two w(!eks or moie in com- 

 pleting tlie excavation. They are not 

 vei'y discriminating in the selection of 

 a nesting site, and I have found them 

 nesting in stumps at a height of not 

 more than thee feet from the ground. 

 They sometinuis nest in natural cavitieti 

 of trees. 



