16 THE FOOD OF WOOKPECKERS. 



The only grain discovered was corn, which was found in 2 stom- 

 achs. In one case it was green corn in the milk, but this is hardly 

 sufQcient to prove the habit of eating corn. Fruit aggregates a little 

 more than 11 percent of the food of the species, and is fairly distrib- 

 uted among all the items in the above list. Since blackberries are the 

 only kind of cultivated fruit found in the stomachs, and since they grow 

 wild in abundance, it is evident that the Hairy Woodpecker does not at 

 present cause any great damage by his fruit-eating habits. The sub- 

 stances in the miscellaneous list form about 11 percent of the whole food, 

 and arO' practically of the same character as in the case of the Downy. 

 Poison ivy seeds were eaten by 7 birds, and poison sumac by only 1, so 

 that not so many seeds of these undesirable shrubs are distributed by 

 the Hairy as by the Downy. The weed seeds in the stomachs were 

 few in number, but in Iowa both the Hairy and the Downy Woodpeckers 

 feed largely on weed seeds in winter, stomachs taken then containing 

 little else. Eubbish amounts, to about one-twelfth of all their food, 

 which is the largest percentage shown by any species. 



Dr. Merriam informs, me- that in northern New York the Hairy Wood- 

 pecker, like the other woodpeckers of the Adirondack region, feeds 

 largely on beechnuts. In late fall, winter, and early spring followiug 

 good yields of beechnuts the nuts form the principal food of the 

 woodpeckers. 



FLICKER. 



(Colaptes'auratus.) 



This bird, one of the largest and best known of our woodpeckers, is 

 more migratory than either the Hairy or Downy, in winter being scarce 

 or absent from- its breeding range in the Northern States, where it is 

 very abundant in summer and early fall. The Yellow-shafted Flicker 

 is distributed throughout the United States east of the Eocky Moun- 

 tains. In the West it is replaced by the Red-shafted Flicker, which 

 may be considered the same so far as food habits are concerned. 

 Under one or the other of its. various titles of Flicker-, Gold en- winged 

 Woodpecker, High-holder, Yellow-hammer-, Pigeon Woodpecker, and 

 Hairy-wicket, it is. known to every farmer and schoolboy and, iinfortu- 

 nately, to certain, so-called sportsmen also, for this is the one woodpecker 

 that is often seen in city markets. In most places it is a much shyer 

 bird than either of the preceding, and while it frequents the farm and 

 approaches buildings. freely it keeps more in the tops of the trees and 

 does not allow so near an .approach of its greatest enemy, man. This is 

 particularly true in the northeastern part of the country, where large 

 bags of Pigeon Woodpeckers are annually made among the wild cherry 

 trees in which the birds feed. The Flickers soon learn whom they have 

 to fear, and such knowledge seems to be hereditary. They are very 

 prolific, rearing from six to ten young at a brood, and so keep reason- 

 ably abundant in most parts of the country. The Flicker is the most 



