548 Lake Maxinkuckee, Physical and Biological Survey 



Ordinarily one would not suppose that the redheaded wood- 

 peckers bear any direct relation to the aquatic life of lakes and 

 streams, but that they do bear such a relation was determined 

 by us in the fall of 1913. In the last days of September and the 

 early part of October, certain species of Dipterous insects of the 

 genus Chironomus, particularly the species Chironomus meri- 

 dionaUs, appeared about the lake in untold millions. They com- 

 pleted their metamorphoses and came out of the water in numbers 

 innumerable, swarming through the air and literally covering the 

 trunks and limbs of the trees and shrubs and the sides of houses, 

 fences, and even the ground. They were particularly abundant 

 on Long Point where we observed them daily. They were most in 

 evidence in the late afternoon and evening and we were surprised 

 to see feeding on them several species of birds which we had not 

 previously known to do so. The following birds were observed 

 feeding actively, chiefly on the flying insects, but sometimes pick- 

 ing them from the trees and bushes: Redheaded Woodpeckers, 

 song sparrows, yellow-billed cuckoos, barn swallows, yellow-rumped 

 warblers, nighthawks, crow blackbirds, and rusty grackles. One 

 of the most active species was the Redheaded Woodpecker, which 

 usually caught the insects on the wing. 



This illustrates strikingly the futility of attempting to draw 

 a line between the birds that sustain a relation to aquatic life and 

 those which are supposed to bear no such relation. 



82. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER 



CENTURUS CAROLINUS (Linnseus) 



Perhaps the rarest woodpecker of this region. In the fall of 

 1899 two or three were seen in the Tippecanoe River bottoms near 

 Belong, and again on September 30, 1900. It was noted about 

 the lake October 27, November 2, 11, and 14, and December 11, 

 20 and 31, 1900; on October 25 and 30, November 2, and De- 

 cember 12, 1904; also on October 7 and 31, 1906. 



It was rarely observed on the west side of the lake. It was 

 most often seen in the bottom land along the Tippecanoe River near 

 Delong, and on the east side of the lake. 



83. YELLOWHAMMER; FLICKER 



COLAPTES AURATUS (Linnseus) 



Quite common about the lake and in the neighboring fields and 

 woodlands. Probably a permanent resident but rare in winter; 

 our notes record it for every month except January and Febru- 



