INTRCiDUCTTON. 



9 



extended in two lono;, Hlemlor lilcuuciits <>{ the hyoid bone wliicli curl 

 np around the l)aek of tlie skull and, wliile they commonly ,sto]) 

 between the eyes, in some species they pass around the eye (hg. 2, b), 

 but in others enter the right nasal o])cnino- and extend to the end of 

 the beak (fig. 2, a). In tliis last case the tongue is i)ractically twice 

 the length of the head. Posteriorly this organ is inclosed in a muscu- 

 lar sheath by means of which it can be extruded from the mouth to 

 a considerable length, and used as a most eft'ectivo instniment for 

 dislodging grubs or ants from their burrows in wootl or bark. Hence, 

 while most birds have to be content with sucli insects as they find on 

 the surface or in open crevices, the wood])eckers devote tlieir energies 

 to those larva? or grubs whicli are beneath tlie l)ark or even in the 

 heart of the tree. They locate tlieir luddcn ])rey witli i^reat accuracj^ 

 and often cut small holes direct Iv lo the burrows of the grubs. In 



Fig. 3. — Wood from which woodpecker has extracted insect. 



figure 3 the gnd> had eaten a Inirrow througli tlie heart of a maple 

 sapling, but its position was accurateh' determined by the bird, wliich 

 tiren cut through the solid live wood until it reached the burrow and 

 extracted the insect. 



In the United States, exclusive of outlying possessions, there 

 are about 45 species and subspecies of this family, most of which are 

 of decided economic imjiortance. As a family they are much less 

 migratory than most other birds, and a majority of the s]>ecies occup}^ 

 the same range tliroughout tlie year, which adds materially t-o their 

 value to farmers. Tlieir food consists so largely of wood-boring 

 grubs, hibernating insects, and insects' eggs and pupffi that their 

 su])plies do not fail even in the coldest weather. 



The present paper is based u]Km the examination of 3,453 stom- 

 achs of woodpeckers re])resenting 16 species and nearly twice as 

 man}^ subs])ecies, taken in all parts of the United States, with a few 

 from Canada. In the following table the species are arranged in the 



