Red-headed Woodpecker. 91 



the red-headed woodpeckers, and shown that the damage 

 they do in the orchard, garden, and field is in small ratio 

 to their beneficial services. 



There is a provident side to the character of the red- 

 heads, for in times of plenty they have regard to their 

 needs for the future. Their hard experiences in former 

 periods, before the days of civilization, doubtless stamped 

 upon the species the trait of hoarding a part of their 

 present supplies; hence they can be often observed flying 

 toward some chosen spot, carrying something for their 

 hoard. Acorns, nuts, and other similar bits of food are 

 stored into crevices of the bark of favorite trees, crotches 

 of branches, and cavities they have constructed or se- 

 lected for the purpose. The birds being migratory here, 

 these little scattered stores of food are seldom drawn 

 upon; the habit, however, suggests the inquiry as to 

 whether these woodpeckers were not formerly residents 

 in this section. It is well known that the blue jays, the 

 nuthatches, and other birds of the woods share with cLe 

 red-heads this habit of hoarding for times of need. 



