PICARIAE— PICIDAE— S. VARIUS VAlt. ^^fUCHALlS. 



393 



heard the notes of both mingling together; this species from the groves of 

 aspen, as it launclied itself from one tree to another ; the other, from con- 

 tiguous tracts of heavy pine forest, where it was equally indefatigable in its 

 search for insects among the conifers. 



At this season (summer), I am inclined to think that the food of this 

 species is wholly of an insectivorous nature ; but late in the fall, and in 

 early spring, the damage done certain of the deciduous trees by this species 

 is very considerable, while in civilized districts the injuiy and even destruc- 

 tion of fruit trees, caused by the tearing off of large pieces of bark with the 

 apparent design of reaching the tender inner bark or juices of the tree, 

 placed it on the proscribed list of the farmers. In Southern Utah, I 

 visited peach orchards, which had suffered severely from this cause ; though 

 here the farmers assured me that the " sapsuckers" were of two kinds, 

 pointing out -this species, and the large Red-shafted Woodpecker {Colai^tes 

 mexicanus), which was very numerous. That the scars and denuded patches 

 seen on nearly every tree in a large orchard were the work of woodpeckers 

 there could be no doubt, the evidence presented by the character of the 

 marks being alone sufficient proof of their origin ; but I am inclined to 

 think the present species should have received the credit for all the mischief, 

 and that no part of it belonged to its larger brethren. 



