WOODPECKERS 273 



winter they appear in the orchards and trees of the towns and 

 cities, doing a good work in exterminating the various inju- 

 rious insects and their eggs and larvae. 



At all seasons their food is practically of an insect nature 

 and they do especially good work in exterminating the species 

 which bore in and work destruction to our various trees. They 

 eat almost anything in the insect line which they find but grubs 

 and beetles are prime favorites, and the species has also been 

 reported as eating the larvae and adults of potato beetles. 



When feeding they often keep up a peculiar quick chirping 

 call much like " ki-yeep, ki-yeep-ki-yeep." This is occasionally 

 varied by a resounding tattoo delivered with the bill on the 

 hard resonant wood, and this is more often heard in the breed- 

 ing season. The young birds in the nest keep up a constant 

 squeaking call for food. 



The nest is always situated in a hole excavated in a tree 

 sometimes in the rotten wood of a dead stub, but more often 

 according to my experience in a limb, the outer portion of which 

 is living for the most part, but the heart and often one side 

 dead and still very hard, and I have known them to excavate 

 a hole rarely in a tree wholly sound and living. The height 

 of the hole is from ten to forty feet from the ground. It is 

 generally made on the sheltered side of the tree, goes in about 

 two inches and then straight down seven to ten inches. The 

 size of the entrance is generally under two inches, being 

 seemingly too small to admit the bird. Three to seven pure 

 white glossy eggs are laid. Usually three or four constitute 

 the set and only one brood is reared in a season. 



A typical nest was found at West Oldtown, Maine, in late 

 April at which time the birds had progressed quite well with 

 the excavation of it. The female bird could be heard digging 

 away in the hole and the male was clinging to the entrance. 

 Every little while the female appeared with a mouthful of 

 chips which were transferred to the male and with them he flew 

 away, returning shortly without them. After a while the 



