62 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ALABAMA 



92. PHLGEOTOMUS PILEATUS PILEATUS (Linnaeus). 



PILEATED WOODPECKER. 



"Log-Cock." 



"Not common, though once abundant. Found in heavily 

 timbered localities; chiefly in the river bottom." (1890e). 



Writing of Baldwin County, Sept. 16-Oct. 2, 1892, the 

 Doctor noted : "Pileated woodpecker not common ; one 

 specimen was taken at 'Rambler's Rest' on Perdido Bay." 



No. 1004. Male. Baldwin Co. Oct. 2, 1892. W. C. Avery. 

 No. 1063. Female. Greensboro. Sept. 8, 1893. W. C. Avery. 



93. MELANERPES ERYTHROCEPHALUS (Linmeus). 



RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. 



"Shirt-Tail." 



After cataloging an adult male taken at Greensboro, 

 June 9, 1876, as No. 14 of his first series, Dr. Avery 

 writes : 



"Stomach contained debris of insects, and blackberry 

 seeds. 



"When I was a boy the red-headed woodpecker was a 

 very common bird. Thousands of these harmless birds 

 have been destroyed, under the pretext of saving the 

 fruit and the Indian corn. I believe that when they 

 peck into the latter it is to search for a worm that de- 

 stroys the corn : be that as it may the red-headed wood- 

 pecker does more good by the destruction of insects than 

 harm by eating a little fruit or corn even. 



"No bird affords a better mark for wanton shooters 

 than this beautiful bird. Thousands perish because they 

 are a good mark for a rifle shot. 



"There used to be hundreds in Alabama where there 

 is one now. When we destroy our friends, our enemies, 

 the cotton worms, increase until their number is legion. 



"My country thou art doomed! The degraded African 

 destroys every day with ruthless hand thy crown of trees, 

 thy noble forests. Even the mockingbird does not escape 

 the senseless, soulless negro. Not long after the war, I 

 saw two negro boys with guns, both of them at least 

 seventeen or eighteen years old. I asked one of them 

 what he had in his bird-bag. He told me (I think) that 



