134 Birds of Prnnsylvania. 



and confidiiifi; were thej' that it was possible to approach within a few 

 paces of them without excitiiiir; suspMipn or creating alarm. In the 

 vicinity of the White Deer mountains, in Union county, they exist in 

 great abundance during the breeding period, and are the objects of 

 special protection by the farmers, for the immense good which they 

 accomplish in the destruction of myriads of noxious insects." 



In many localities in Eastern Pennsylvania during the past few 

 years these beautiful birds have become quite scarce. As farmers and 

 fruit-growers very generally seem to fully appreciate the beneficent 

 services these birds render, and seldom subject them to persecution, 

 I attribute this scarcity largely to the fact that the adult Red-heads 

 find a ready market for millinery purposes; When pursued by gun- 

 ners, these Woodpeckers first endeavor to escape by flying to the top- 

 most branches of the tallest trees; then, if further molested, they will 

 conceal themselves in holes, where I have known them to remain for 

 over one hour before venturing out. 



In this locality these birds subsist chiefly on an insect bill of fare; 

 cherries, berries, occasionally ripe apples, green corn and pears are 

 fed upon. In several examinations that I have made of birds shot in 

 the winter season were discovered particles of acorns, gravel and dif- 

 ferent forms of insects. In the winter, like the common Crow Black- 

 birds, the Red-heads will sometimes visit corn-cribs and feed on corn 

 which they pick from the ears. Although I have never seen this spe- 

 cies store up acorns, etc., there is no doubt that they occasionally thus 

 provide for themselves. 



In writing of the iood-habits of the Red head, Wilson says : '' Though 

 this bird occasionally regales himself on fruit, yet his natural and most 

 useful food is insects, particularly those numerous and destructive 

 species that penetrate the bark and body of the tree to deposit their 

 eggs and larvfe, the latter of which are well known to make immense 

 havoc. That insects are his natural food is evident from the construc- 

 tion of his wedge-lbrmed bill, the length, elasticity, and figure of his 

 tongue, and the strength and position of his claws, as well as from his 

 usual habits. In fact, insects form at least two-thirds of his subsist- 

 ence; and his stomach is scarcely ever found without them. He 

 searches for them with a dexterity and intelligence, I may safely say, 

 more than human ; he perceives, by the exterior appearance of the 

 bark, where they lurk below ; when he is dubious, he rattles vehe- 

 mently on the outside with his bill, and his acute ear distinguishes 

 the terrified vermin shrinking within to their inmost retreats, where 

 his pointed and barbed tongue soon reaches them. The masses of 

 bugs, caterpillars and other larvae which I have taken from the stom- 

 achs of these birds have often surprised me. These larvae, it should 

 be remembered, feed not only on the buds, leaves and blossoms, but 



