Wyoming Birds. 47 



ORDER XV. PICI. 



PICIDAE (Woodpeckers). 



The Woodpeckers are most important friends of the forest. 

 They live largely upon the larvae of boring beetles and Lipidoptera. 

 Their adaptations of tongue, tail, and feet are evidences that these 

 insects are their natural food. Some of the Woodpeckers are 

 wholly beneficial, since they feed almost entirely upon these injurious 

 larvae. The so-called Sapsuckers vary their diet of insect larvae 

 with the cambium and sap of trees and may do considerable damage. 

 The Red-headed Woodpecker is particularly fond of fruit, beech 

 nuts, and grain, as well as grasshoppers, etc. The Flicker, like 

 most Woodpeckers, eats large numbers of ants. He also feeds upon 

 chinch bugs, grasshoppers, crickets, and cock roaches. He inhabits 

 the open country and is found frequently upon the ground. "With 

 the single exception of the Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, all our Wood- 

 peckers appear to be extremely beneficial." 



References : 



1. "Food of the Woodpeckers of the United States,'' F. E. 



L. Beal, Biological Survey Bulletin No. 37. 



2. "Birds in Their Relation to Man," Weed and Dearborn, pp. 



181-191. 



3. Farmers' Bulletin No. 506, pp. 5-14. 



393d. Dryobates villosus hyloscopus: Cabanis's Woodpecker. 



"Resident ; not common. In all probability a portion of the 

 records referred to the Harris's Woodpecker belong to this 

 variety. But few collectors have noted them, and as a rule 

 have referred it to some other form. Thus far the Wyo- 

 ming records have been made by the National Museum 

 only, which are as follows : Nos. 38270 and 38272, taken 

 at Laramie Peak by Exp. Expd. West of the Missouri River ; 

 No. 10789, taken at Fort Bridger by South Pass Wagon 

 Road Expd." (Knight.) 



393e. Dryobates villosus monticola: Rocky Mountain Hairy Wood- 

 pecker. 

 Fairly common summer resident over most of the wooded 

 regions of the state. 



