22 WOODPECKERS IN RELATION TO TREES, 



Names of families and the statistics as to the number of species in 

 them are from the same book. 



Included in this list are the names of many trees attacked by sap- 

 suckers, but by which of the three species is not known. In view 

 of the immense range of the yellow-bellied sapsucker, probably all 

 these trees are at some time or other punctured by this species. 

 Many of them are undoubtedly attacked by one of the other species, 

 especially in the West by the red-breasted sapsucker. 



The information concerning sapsucker attack on trees of various 

 families is summarized for each family before presenting the evi- 

 dence relating to the individual species. Following the family sum- 

 maries are lists of all the species attacked, with detailed accounts 

 of the species notably injured. 



The yellow-bellied sapsucker, in addition to attacking trees, also 

 works upon several vines. Sometimes a vine is riddled while the 

 tree which supports it is untouched. The vines upon which punc- 

 tures have been noted are: 



Dutchman's pipe (AristolocTiia macrophylla). — West Virginia (F.), 

 Abbeville, La. 



Poison ivy (Rhus toxicodendron). — Tins vine is abundantly 

 punctured by sapsuckers and sometimes partly or entirely killed, 

 as at Longbridge, La. 



Rattan vine (Berchemia volubilis) . — Abbeville, La. 



Frost grape (Vitis vulpina). — Longbridge and Abbeville, La. 



Virginia creeper (Psedera quinquefolia) . — Plummers Island, Md. 



Trumpet creeper (Tecoma radicans). — Cottonport and Abbe- 

 ville, La. 



These 6 species of vines belong to 5 families, 2 of which are not 

 otherwise represented in the list. 



the maidenhair trees (ginkgoace^s). 



This family contains only a single species, a native of Japan, which 

 is commonly cultivated for ornament in the United States. It is 

 vigorously attacked by sapsuckers, but so far as known it is not 

 materially defaced. 



Maidenhair tree (Ginkgo biloba). — Along the central avenue of 

 the Agricultural Department grounds hi Washington are 76 trees of 

 this species, of which 29, or 38 per cent, have been pecked by the 

 yellow-bellied sapsucker. Some of the trees show numerous punc- 

 tures, and in a few cases swollen girdles have resulted. One tree which 

 divides into ten main trunks is closely punctured all over. The 

 trees are disfigured, but as they are not especially prized for beauty 

 of trunk, the blemishes are not serious. 



