20 THE FOOD OF WOODPECKERS. 
observers, however, have testified that some damage is done. T. J. 
Parrish, of Cooke County, Tex., states that the Yellow-hammers and 
small woodpeckers feed on peaches, plums, grapes, and cherries. 
Miscellaneous vegetable substances aggregate a little more than 10 
percent of the whole food of this bird, and like the fruit list, consist 
of a variety of elements. Poison ivy seeds were found in 20 stomachs, 
poison sumac in 5, and bayberries in 14. All these seeds are coated 
with a white substance resembling wax, and while the quantity is small 
compared with the size of the seeds, it is probably rich in nutritive 
properties, for the seeds are a favorite article of winter diet with many 
birds. A number of weed seeds were found, and if eaten in consider- 
able quantities would be a great argument in the bird’s favor, but 
unfortunately they occurred in only one or two stomachs each, and so 
may be considered as merely picked up experimentally in default of 
something better. It is possible that a series of stomachs taken in the 
winter months might show a larger percentage, as has been observed 
in the case of other species of birds, including at least 2 woodpeckers. 
The mineral element of the stomach contents is larger in the Flicker 
than any of the others, forming 5 percent of the whole, and consisting 
principally of fine sand. It was noticed that the greatest quantity was 
present in stomachs containing ants, showing that the sand was picked 
up accidentally in gathering the ants from their hillocks.. 
RED-HBADED WOODPECKER. 
(Melanerpes erythrocephalus.) 
The handsome Redhead inhabits suitable localities throughout the 
United States east of the Rocky Mountains, but is only casual in New 
England. He is a familiar bird on telegraph poles and fence posts, 
and seems to prefer these rather unpicturesque objects to other appar- 
ently more fruitful hunting grounds. He feeds largely on insects found 
upon these bare surfaces, but the vegetable matter in his stomach 
shows that he forages in other pastures also. 
Fifty years ago Giraud stated that on Long Island the Red-headed 
Woodpecker arrives early in April, and during the spring ‘subsists 
chiefly on insects. In the summer it frequents the fruit trees, ripe 
cherries and pears seeming to be a favorite repast. In the fall it feeds 
on berries and acorns, the latter at this season forming a large portion 
of its food.”! 
In its fondness for mast it resembles its relative, the California Wood- 
pecker, whose habit of storing acorns is one of its most conspicuous 
traits. In thenorthern part of its range,whero the oak is replaced by the 
beech, the Redhead makes the beechnutits principal food. Dr. C. Hart 
| Birds of Long Island, by J. P. Giraud, jr., 1844, p. 180. 
