18 THE FOOD OF WUODPECKERS. 
ants, although the other insects found in the stomachs account in 
part for this ground-feeding habit. Prof. Samuel Aughey examined 8 
stomachs of Flickers in Dixon County, Nebr., in June, 1865. All of 
them contained grasshoppers, and the number in each stomach varied 
from 15 to 48. 
As a large part of the food of the 7 woodpeckers studied consists 
of auts, the question may be asked whether the birds are doing good 
or harm by destroying them. There are so many different species of 
these insects, and they have such widely different habits, that it is 
difficult to make any assertion that will apply to all, but it is safe to 
say that many kinds are decidedly harmful, because they attend, pro- 
tect, and help to spread plant, root, and bark lice of various species. 
These lice are among the worst enemies of plant life, and everything 
which tends to prevent their destruction is prejudicial to the interests 
of agriculture. Other species of ants destroy timber by burrowing in 
it; still others, in warmer climates, do much harm to fruit trees by 
cutting off the leaves and undermining the ground. Many species 
infest houses and other buildings. Apparently, then, birds do no harm 
in destroying ants, but on the contrary probably do much good by keep- 
ing within bounds these insect pests, whose greater abundance would 
be a serious injury to man. The Flicker takes the lead in this work, 
eating ants to the extent of nearly half of his whole food. 
Next in importance to ants are beetles, which form about 10 percent 
of all the food, less than half the quantity eaten by the Hairy and 
Downy Woodpeckers. Among these were May beetles and their allies, 
and a few snapping beetles, but the greater number were Carabids or 
predaceous ground beetles. Most of these were in the adult form, but 
some larvie of tiger beetles were identified. As these last live in bur- 
rows in the sand, and as Carabids live upon the ground, their presence 
in the stomachs again points to the terrestrial habits of the bird. The 
same is true of the grasshoppers and crickets. None of the other insects 
meutioned were eaten to any great extent, the whole aggregating only 
about 3 percent. Two stomachs contained each a single bedbug. 
Where they were obtained it is as difficult to surmise as it is to under- 
stand what motive could prompt the bird to swallow such an insect. 
Five stomachs contained each a few bits of snail shell. 
In the matter of vegetable diet the Flicker has the most extensive 
list of any of the 7 woodpeckers, and many of the articles of food 
can only be obtained on the ground or among low bushes. Following 
is a list of all the vegetable substances identified in the Flicker’s 
stomach: 
