Birds of Indiana. 843 



ijiiier web ul ceuiral feathers, white with black spots; their outer webs 

 black with more or less white next the shaft. AduU Female and 

 hnmature.— Crown, grayish; nape and nostrils only, scarlet. 



Length, 9.00-lO.UO; wing, 4.85-5.50; tail, 3.50-3.95. 



Uange. — Eastern United States, from Florida and Texas north to 

 Ahisvsachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, southern Ontario, southern 

 Michigan, southern Wisconsin, South Dakota. Breeds north to Penn- 

 sylvania, and thence westward throughout its range. Winters almost 

 throughout its range. 



Nest, an excavation in a tree. Fggs, 3-5; white; .99 by .73. 



Resident, rare northward, more numerous southward, common in 

 southern third of the State. While they do not migrate as a body, 

 they are less common north and more common south in winter. It 

 prefers the heavy timber. Along the Whitewater and Ohio rivers it 

 is seldom seen in the lowlands, but upon the top of the bluffs and 

 farther back upon the uplands wherever white oak trees are found it 

 is common. Its call is something like Kurr-urr-urr, more or less 

 lengthened, while a note when disturbed or when hammering is Choiv- 

 chow. They are shy and suspicious, and as one tract of woods after 

 another is cleared away, the birds that peopled each disappear. It has 

 been reported as resident in the following counties in Indiana: Lake, 

 rare (Meyer); Porter, not uncommon at Kouts (Parker); Laporte (Bar- 

 ber, Byrkit); Dekalb, rather common (Mrs. Hine); Michigan, Kent 

 County, not very common (Moseley); Wayne, a few winter (Trombley). 

 They begin mating in March; one was seen excavating for a nest 

 March 24, 1892 (Mrs. Hine). Eggs may be taken any time from April 

 15 to June 1. Nests are usually made in dead tops of living trees 

 from 15 to 60 feet high. Eggs are laid daily. Incubation lasts about 

 fourteen days. Both sexes share in nest-making, sitting and caring for 

 the young. Generally only one brood is raised (Bendire, L. H. N. A. 

 Birds, pp. 123-124). The Eed-bellied Woodpecker is the vegetarian 

 of its family. Of 22 stomachs examined, 26 per cent, of the contents 

 was animal and 74 per cent, vegetable food; 14 had eaten ants amount- 

 ing to 11 per cent.; 10 per cent, of the total food was beetles. The 

 vegetable food was entirely wild fruits and seeds. Only 2 had eaten 

 corn. August 10, 1897, I found one eating Benoni apples, and it was 

 with difficulty it could be driven away. I was told they had eaten 

 most of the apples, which were small and knotty. In winter they live 

 upon wild fruits and seeds, but years when mast is plenty they doubt- 

 less live principally upon acorns and beechnuts. Their evil deeds are 

 few and the good they do very much. Dr. Haymond notes this bird 

 lias, like the Red-headed Woodpecker, the habit of hoarding nuts. 



