i6o 



Indian Museum Notes, 



[ Vol. IV. 



Appreantly, then, birds do no harm in destroying ants, but on the 

 contrary probably do much good by keeping within bounds these 

 insect pests, whose greater abundance would be a serious injury 

 to man. The Flicker takes the lead in this work, eating ants 

 to the extent of nearly half of his whole food. 



Next in importance to ants are beetles, which form about lo 

 per cent, of all the food, less than half the quantity eaten by th6 

 Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers. Among these were May beetles 

 and their allies, a few snapping beetles, but the greater number 

 were Carabids or predaceous ground beetles. Most of these were in 

 the adult form, but some larvae of tiger beetles were identified. 

 As these last live in burrows in the sand, and as Carabids live upon 

 the ground, their presence in the stomachs again points to the 

 terrestrial habits of the bird. The same is true of the grasshoppers 

 and crickets. None of the other insects mentioned were eaten to 

 any great extent, the whole aggregating only about 3 per cent. Two 

 stomachs contained each a single bed bug. Where they were obtained 

 it is as difficult to surmise as it is to understand what motive could 

 prompt the bird to swallow such an insect. Five stomachs contained 

 each a few bits of a snail shell. 



In the matter of vegetable diet the Flicker has the most extensive 

 list of any of the 7 woodpeckers, and many of the articles of food can 

 only be obtained on the ground or among low bushes. Following 

 is a list of all the vegetable substances identified in the Flicker's 

 stomachs : — 



Grain — 

 Corn. 

 Buckwheat. 



Fruit— 



Dogwood berries (Cornus florida 



and C. asperifolia). 

 Virginia creeper berries (Partheno- 



cissus qui nque folia). 

 Hack berries {Celtis occidenialis). 

 Black alder berries {Ilex ■verti- 



cillata). 

 Sourgum berries ( Nyssa oquatica). 

 Cat or greenbrier berries {Smilax 



glauca). 

 Blue berries (Vaccinium, sp.). 

 Huckleberries {Gaylussacia, sp.). 

 Pokeberries {Phytolacca decandra). 

 June or service berries {Ame- 



lanchier canadensis)^ 

 Spiceberries {Benzoin beneoin). 



FRviT—contd. 



Elderberries {Sambucus cana- 

 densis and S. pubens). 

 Mulberries {Morus). 



Wild grapes {Vitis cordifolia). 



Wild black cherries {Primus 

 serotina). 



Choke cherries {Prunus virgini- 

 ana). 



Cultivated cherries. 

 Black berries {Rubus), 

 Unidentified. 

 Miscellaneous — 



Poison ivy seeds {Rhus radicans). 



Poison sumac seeds {Rims vernix). 



Harmless sumac seeds {Rhus copal- 

 Una and R. glabra), 



Waxberries or bayberries {Alyrica 

 cerifera). 



Juniper berries {Juntperus virgi- 

 niana). 



