168 THE SECOND BOOK OF BIRDS 
the common name of “ carpenter woodpecker.” 
This habit is of storing sweet acorns for winter 
use. 
Other birds store acorns, but this bird has 
found out a new way. He drills a hole in the 
bark of a tree for each acorn by itself. It is 
generally a soft pine or cedar, and sometimes — 
thousands of acorns are put in one tree. Often 
a trunk will be filled from near the ground up 
forty feet. The acorns are driven in point first, 
and so tightly that they have to be cut out with 
a knife. When a tree is filled, it is carefully 
guarded till they are needed. 
Many people think they lay up these acorns 
for the worms that sometimes come into them. 
But Mr. John Muir, who lives right there, and 
knows them as well as anybody in the world, 
says the birds eat the sound acorns themselves. 
Sometimes, when food is scarce, Indians go to 
these trees and steal the poor birds’ store. They 
have to chop the acorns out with hatchets. They 
often take a bushel from one tree. 
These birds are more social than most wood- 
peckers. Often a party of them will be seen to- 
gether. In his flight and his ways of eating this 
bird is like the red-headed woodpecker. Like 
him also, he is fond of clinging to a dead limb, 
and drumming, hours at a time. 
