58 



FOOD OF WOODPECKERS OF UNITED STATES. 



winter months and occasionally tasted at other times. It amounts 

 to 1.79 per cent of the food. Cambium, weed seed, nonpoisonous 

 Rhus seeds, and rubbish are found in some stomachs pretty regularly 

 through the year, though the quantity is very irregular. It would 

 appear that the three former are eaten only in default of anything 

 better, and the last is probably taken accidentally when seeking ants 

 in rotten wood or under rubbish. The total amount is 6.64 per cent 

 and completes the quota of vegetable food. 

 The following fruits and seeds were identified: 



Number of 

 stomachs 

 containing 



Hemlock (foliage) ( Tsuga canadensis) . 1 



Red cedar ( Juniper us virginiana) 5 



Barnyard grass (Paniciim sp.) 1 



Foxtail grass (Ixophorus sp.) 2 



Glaucous-leaved greenbrier {Smilax- 



glauca) 1 



Cat brier (Smilax rotundifolia) 1 



Bristly greenbrier {Smila.r bona-nox) . 1 

 Laurel-leaved brier (Smilax laiiri- 



folia) 3 



Bayberry {Myrica carolinensis) 48 



Sweet fern ( Comptonia peregrina) 1 



Beecli {Fagus americana) 1 



Hackberry ( Celtis ocddentalis) 24 



Mulberry ( Morus rubra) 2 



Pale persicaria {Polygonum lapathi- 



folium ) 1 



Lady's thumb {Polygonum persi- 

 caria) 1 



Black bindweed {Polygonum convol- 

 vulus) 1 



Smartweed {Polygonum sp. ) 4 



Pokeweed {Phytolacca decandra) 5 



Magnolia {Magnolia foetida) 3 



Spicebush {Benzoin benzoin) 2 



Sand blackberry {Rubus cuneifoliv^) . 1 



Blackberry or raspben-y {Rubus sp.). 15 



Juneberry {Amelanchier canadensis) . . 3 



Wild black cherry {Prunus sexotina) . 30 



Chokecherry {Prunus virginiami) ^ 7 



Crab cherry {Prunus avium) 1 



Number of 

 stomachs 

 containing 



White clover ( Trifolium repens) 6 



Crane's-bill {Geranium sp.) 1 



Croton ( Croton sp. ) 1 



Dwarf sumac {Rhus copallina) 3 



Smooth sumac {Rhus glabra) 11 



Poison sumac {Rhus vernix) 5 



Poison ivy {Rhus radicans) 82 



Poison oak {Rhus diversiloba) 1 



Sumac (Rhus sp.) 11 



American holly {Ilex opaca) 1 



Dahoon holly {Ilex cassine) 1 



Ink berry {Ilex glabra) 8 



Swamp holly {Ilex decidua) 1 



Black alder {Ilex verticillata) 4 



Burning bush {Enonymus sp.) 1 



Frost grape (Li lis cordifolia) 22 



Flowering dogwood ( Cbrnus fiorida) . 16 



Rough-leaved dogwood {Cornus as- 



perifolia) 1 



Alternate-leaved dogwocfd ( Cornus 



alternifolia) 1 



Sour gum {Nyssa sylvatica) 32 



Large tupelo {Nyssa aquaiica) 2 



Huckleberry {Gaylussacia sp.) 6 



Blueberry ( Vaccinium sp.) 7 



Black nightshade {Solanum nigrum) . 



Mullein ( Verbascum thapsus) 



Black elderberry {Sambucus canaden- 



s). 



Red elderbeiTy {Sambucus piibens). 

 Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) . 



1 

 1 



11 

 1 

 3 



Summary. — From the point of view of the food analyst the farmer 

 and horticulturist have very little quarrel with the flicker. It eats 

 only a few predaceous ground beetles. The remainder of the animal 

 food is entirely of harmful species. In its vegetable diet, grain and 

 fruit are the only useful products eaten, and the quantities are insig- 

 nificant. The bird, like many others, has the bad habit of sowing 

 broadcast the seeds of the poison Rhus, but there seems no remedy 

 for this. 



