ORDER XV. WOODPECKERS. 
PICI. 
Family 1. WOODPECKERS. Picip#. 24 species, 22  sub- 
species. 
‘The some three hundred and fifty known species of Woodpeckers are 
distributed throughout the wooded parts of the world, except in Aus- 
tralia and Madagascar, nearly one half of this number being found in 
the New World.. Feeding largely upon the eggs and larve of insects, 
which they can obtain at all seasons, most of the North American 
species are not highly migratory but are represented in the more north- 
ern parts of their range at all times of the year. 
Woodpeckers nest in holes in trees generally excavated by them- 
selves. The eggs, four to eight or nine in number, like those of most 
birds that lay in covered situations, are pure white. The young are 
born naked and are reared in the nest. 
In few birds is the close relation between structure and habit more 
strikingly illustrated than in the Woodpeckers. Their lengthened toes 
placed two before and two behind (except in one genus) and armed 
with strong nails enable them readily to grasp the bark of trees up 
which they climb. Their stiffened, pointed tail-feathers are also of 
assistance to them in retaining their position on tree trunks, serving as 
a prop on which they may rest while chiseling out their homes or lay- 
ing bare the tunnels of the grubs of wood boring beetles. For this 
purpose they use their bill, a marvellously effective tool with which 
some of the large Woodpeckers perform astonishing feats. I have 
seen an opening made by a Pileated Woodpecker in a white, pine tree, 
twelve inches long, four inches wide, and eight inches deep, though 
perfectly sound wood to reach the larve at work in the heart of the 
tree. The bill is also used as a musical instrument, the ‘song’ of 
Woodpeckers being a rolling tatoo produced by rapid tappings on 
some resonant limb. 
As might be supposed the Woodpeckers are great of economic value. 
Professor Beal states that at least two-thirds to three-fourths of the 
food of our common Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers consists chiefly 
of noxious insects. 
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