INDEX TO PAPEKS RELATING TO FOOD OF BIRDS. i5 



Bulletin 39. Woodpeckers in relation to trees and wood products. 

 By W. L. McAtee. 99 pp. 12 pis. (2 colored). 44 figs. Sept. 

 26, 1911. 



This bulletin deals principally with the relations of three species of wood- 

 peckers — the true sapsuckers — to living trees and the effect of their work upon 

 the value of the articles into which the wood of these trees is manufactured. 

 The sapsuckers are known to attack at least 25S trees, shrubs, and vines, of 

 which 32 are sometimes killed and 63 seriously injured. Defects due to sap- 

 sucker work have been found in the wood of 174 species of trees, in 90 of 

 which they are at times so serious as to spoil the appearance or workability of 

 the wood, and in 22 species they sometimes render the wood useless except for 

 coarse construction or for fuel. The damage done to fence posts, telephone 

 poles, and buildings by 10 other species of woodpeckers is also discussed. 



CIRCULARS. 



The Biological Survey had its origin as a section of Economic 

 Ornithology established under the Division (now Bureau) of Ento- 

 mology. Four circulars of that division (Nos. 18, 20, 24, and 27) 

 were published in the interest of the new subdivision, and one of 

 them, No. 20, relates to the food habits of birds. 



The earliest circulars of the Division of Economic Ornithology 

 and Mammalogy were largely devoted to requests for information 

 and letters of acknowledgment, which are now issued as "forms." 

 Directions for preparing specimens, contained in Nos. 4, 11, and 12, 

 and later Nos. 46 and 49, are still issued as circulars. Aside from 

 these circulars, No. 17, Bird Day in the Schools, is the only one up 

 to No. 27, inclusive, which is intended for the diffusion rather than 

 the acquisition of knowledge. 



Most of the circulars issued since No. 28 (1900) are short articles 

 conveying information which it was desirable to give speedy pub- 

 licity. Six of them are devoted to enonomic ornithology and five 

 others contain brief references to the economic status of certain birds. 

 Two of the latter (Nos. 29 and 38) were issued from the office of the 

 Secretary and hence do not fall into the class of publications here 

 indexed. No. 29, Protection and Importation of Birds under Act 

 of Congress approved May 25, 1900, discusses the Lacey Act and 

 refers (pp. 1, 3, 4, and 5) to prohibition of entry of injurious species, 

 including the starling and English sparrow. No. 38, Interstate 

 Commerce in Birds and Game, lists (p. 2) robins, swallows, cedar 

 birds, meadowlarks, flickers, and nighthawks as insectivorous, and 

 longspurs, snow buntings, and shore larks as useful in destroying 

 weed seeds. 



