32 THE FOOD OF WOODPECKERS. 



GREAT PILEATED "WOODPECKER. 



(Ceophlceus pileatus.) 



Excepting the Ivory Bill this is the largest woodpecker in the United 

 States, where it inhabits most of the heavily wooded districts. It is shy 

 and retiring, seldom appearing outside of the forests, and difficult to 

 approach even in its favorite haunts. Its large size, loud voice, and 

 habit of hammering upon dead trees render it conspicuous. Its strength 

 is marvelous, and one unacquainted with it can scarcely credit a bird 

 with such power of destruction as is sometimes shown by a stump or 

 dead trunk on which it has operated for ants or boring larva?. 



Only 23 stomachs of the Pileated Woodpecker have been obtained; 

 all taken in the months of October, November, December, and January^ 

 and collected from G States, the District of Columbia, and Canada 

 (including New Brunswick). Fifty-one percent of the contents of 

 these stomachs consisted of animal matter or insects; 49 percent of 

 vegetable matter. The insects were jn incii)ally ants and beetles, wi^h a 

 few of some other orders. The ants wore mostly of the larger species 

 that live in decaying wood. A large proportion of tl>.e beetles were in 

 the larval form, and all were of the wood boring species. There were 

 also a few caterpilhirs, also wood-borers, a few plant lice, several cock- 

 roaches of the species that live under the bark of dead trees, a few 

 white ants aiul a few Hies, with one spidi'r. 



Tlio gizzard of a IMleated AVoodi)e(ker shot by Dr. ^lerriam in the 

 Adirondacks, April 2."), 1SS2, contained hundreds of largi- ants and no 

 other food. Six stomachs, collected by Dr. B. II. Warren on the St. 

 Johns Kiver in Florida, contained nunjcrous i)almetto ants {Campanotus 

 €sci()-ieus)j and remains of other ants, several larva' of a IMionid beetle 

 [OrthoHomd hrunncn)^ numerous buihler i\uts{('rcmaxtogastn' lineolata), 

 one larva of Xylotrcchux, and one pupa of the white aut ( Tennis). The 

 insects were determined under Prof. C. V. lliley.' 



Seeds and berries of the following plants were Ibund in tlie stomachs 

 examined by the division: 



{^ouTgxim (Xyasa aqualica). Virginia cTooiwr (rartheno<i8i»i» quinque- 



V\ov>'crmg dofrwotnl (Corn iia tiorida). , folia). 



li]i\c\i ]i!i\r {nbiirniim pruni/olium). j Greenbrier (Smilax rotundij'olia and 



C'assena (//rj- c<i«»in«). ; S. glaiica). 



Uafkhvrry {CelliM occidrnlalis). \ Sumac (lihua copallina). 



Persiunnion {Diospyroa virginiana). Poison Humac (lihtia vernix). 



Wild grapes ( VUis cordifolia). \ Poison ivy {Rhua radicana). \ 



' Uir.Ls of Pennsylvania, 2d ed., 1890, p. 177. j 



