PICID.E — THE WOODPECKERS. 571 



nit.s, mid from those acorn-eating birds whose bills are not strong or sliarp 

 enough to cut through tlieir tough enclosures ? 



M. Sumichrast, who afterwards enjoyed unusual opportunities for observ- 

 ing the habits of these Woodpeckers in the State of Vera Cruz, states that 

 they dwell exclusively in oak woods, and that near Potrero, as well as in 

 the alpine regions, trunks of oak-trees are found pierced with small holes in 

 circular lines around their circumference. Into each of these holes tliese 

 birds drive the acorns by repeated blows of their beaks, so as to fix them 

 tirndy. At other times tliey make their collection of acorns in openings be- 

 tween the raised bark of dry trees and the trunks. This writer states that 

 he has sought in vain to explain sucli performances satisfactorily. The 

 localities in which these birds reside, in Mexico, teem at all seasons with 

 insects ; and it seems absurd, therefore, to suppose tliat they can be in quest 

 of the small, almost microscopic, larva3 contained in the acorns. 



Dr. C. T. Jackson sought to account for these interesting performances on 

 the ingenious hypothesis that the acorns thus stored are always infested with 

 larva?, and never sound ones ; that they are driven into the tree cup-end fore- 

 most, so as to securely imprison the maggot and prevent its escape, and thus 

 enable the Woodpecker to devour it at its leisure. This would argue a won- 

 derful degree of intelligence and forethouglit, on the part of the Woodpecker, 

 and more than it is entitled to ; for the facts do not sustain this hy- 

 pothesis. The acorns are not put into the tree with the cup-end in, but in- 

 varial)ly the reverse, so far as we have noticed ; and the acorns, so far from 

 being wormy, are, in nine cases out of ten, sound ones. Besides, this theory 

 affords no explanation of the large collections of loose acorns made by these 

 liirds in liollow trees, or in the stalks of the maguay plants. Nor can we 

 understand why, if so intelligent, they make so little use of these acorns, as 

 seems to be the almost universal testimony of California naturalists. And, 

 as still further demonstrating the incorrectness of tliis hypothesis, we have 

 recently been informed by Dr. Canfield of Monterey, Cal., that occasionally 

 tliese Woodpeckers, following an instinct so blind that they do not distin- 

 guish between an acorn and a pebble, are Icnown to fill up tlie holes they 

 have drilled with so much labor, not only with acorns, but occasionally with 

 stones. In time the bark and the wood grow over these, and after a few 

 years they are left a long way from the surface. These trees are usually the 

 sugar-pine of California, a wood much used for llimber. Occasionally one 

 of these trees is cut, the log taken to mill without its being known that it is 

 thus charged with rounded pieces of flint or agate, and the saws that come 

 in contact with them are broken. 



Without venturing to present an explanation of facts that have appeared 

 so contradictory and unsatisfactory to other naturalists, such as we can claim 

 to be either comprehensive or entirely satisfactory, we cannot discredit the 

 positive averments of such observers as Saussure and Salvin. We believe 

 that these Woodpeckers do eat the acorns, when they can do no better. 



