354 



Observations on Woodpeckers. 



Br John T. Campbell. 



In May. 1883, I was surveying to build a levee along the east side 

 of the Wabash River in Parke County. Indiana, from the mouth of Big 

 Raccoon Creek southward to within a mile of the south boundary of the 

 county — twelve miles long. Near the south end of this levee was a wide 

 bottom, in which I had surveyed before it was cleared. Joseph J. Daniels, 

 of Rockville. Indiana, bought this land, cut out the saw timber and dead- 

 ened the remainder. In the spring of 1882, these deadened trees had de- 

 cayed enough for the woodpeckers to bore holes for their nests. There 

 were easily one thousand such trees on this seven hundred acres. Each 

 tree had from three to twenty woodpecker holes. The marks of the 

 great flood of 1SS3. in February, were very plain and could be recognized 

 several years later. Of all those, probably ten thousand holes, not one 

 was below the flood mark of The water of 1883. On the east side of the 

 bottom the ground was very low. which made the flood marks about twenty 

 feet above ground. The flood was twenty-eight feet above summer low 

 water. Out west, near the river, the bottom was high, and the flood marks 

 only about eight feet above the ground. Some of the holes were within two 

 feet, but above the flood mark. The next year many holes were made be- 

 low the flood mark, but whether they were kept above the top of the next 

 and smaller flood, I did not think to notice. I ran the level over the land 

 to grade it for assessment, and had a good opportunity to observe the 

 holes. What is the explanation? 



Lafayette. Ind. 



