36 THE WOODPECKERS 



We will see what the piece of bark tells us. 

 It is four and a half inches long, by an inch and 

 a half wide, and its area of six and three fourths 

 square inches has forty-four punctures. Does 

 this look as if the bird were digging grubs ? 

 Do borers live in such straight little streets? 

 The number and arrangement of the holes show 

 that he was not seeking borers, while the natu- 

 ralists tell us that he never eats a borer unless 

 by accident. What did he get ? Undoubtedly 

 he pecked away some of the inner bark. All 

 these holes are much larger on the back side of 

 the specimen than on the outer surface. While 

 the damp inner bark would shrink a little on 

 exposure to the air, we know that it could not 

 shrink as much as this; and investigation has 

 shown that the sapsucker feeds largely on just 

 such food, for it has been found in his stomach. 

 Two other possible food-substances remain, 

 sap and insects. We know that the sapsucker 

 eats many insects, but it is impossible to prove 

 that he intended these holes for insect lures. 

 Sap he might have gotten from them, if he 

 wished it. We know that the white birch is full 

 of excellent sap, from which can be made a birch 

 candy, somewhat bitter, but nearly as good as 

 horehound candy. The rock and red maples 

 and the white canoe birch are the only trees in 



