No. 3.] Reprints and Miscellaneous Notes, 149 



view, since cambium, if present at all, was in such small quantities 

 as to be of no practical importance. The Yellow-bellied Wood- 

 pecker, however, is evidently fond of this substance, for in the 

 stomachs examined it formed 23 per cent, of the whole food of the 

 year. It was found in 37 stomachs, most of which were taken in 

 April and October. Of 18 stomachs collected in April, 16 contained 

 cambium, and one of the remaining contained no vegetable food what- 

 ever. Moreover, as the true cambium is a soft and easily digested 

 substance, it is probable that what is usually found in the stomachs 

 is only the outer and harder part, which therefore represents a much 

 larger quantity. The extent of the injury done by destroying cam- 

 bium must depend on the quantity taken from individual trees. It 

 is well known that woodpeckers sometimes do serious harm by 

 removing the outer bark from large areas on the trunks of fruit trees. 

 The rings of punctures often seen around the trunks of apple trees 

 are certainly the work of the Sapsucker, though sometimes attributed 

 to the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers. But the bird is not suffi- 

 ciently numerous in most parts of the country to do much damage. 

 It is a difficult task to summarize the results of the investigations 

 herein detailed, more especially if an attempt is made to decide as 

 to the comparative merits or demerits of each particular species. 

 The stomach examinations do not always corroborate the testimony 

 received from observers, and many no doubt will be inclined to 

 think they have seen more harm dofte by some members of this 

 family of birds than is shown by the data here published. If birds 

 are seen feeding repeatedly on a certain kind of food the inference 

 is that they are particularly fond of it, but the truth may be that 

 they are eating it because they can find nothing they like better, 

 and that a collection of their stomachs from many localities would 

 show only a small percentage of this particular food. 



In reviewing the results of these investigations and comparing one 

 species with another, without losing sight of the fact that comparative 

 good is not necessarily positive good, it appears that of seven species 

 considered, the Downy Woodpecker is the most beneficial. This is 

 due in part to the great number of insects it eats, and in part to the 

 nature of its vegetable food, which is of little value to man. Three- 

 fourths of its food consists of insects, and few of these are useful 

 kinds. Of grain it eats practically none. The greatest sin we can 

 lay at its door is the dissemination of poison ivy. 



The Hairy Woodpecker probably ranks next to the Downy in 

 point of usefulness. It eats fewer ants, but a relatively larger per- 

 centage of beetles and caterpillars. Its grain-eating record is trifling; 



