1 882.] The Acorn-storing Habit of the California Woodpecker. 355 



At the upper end of Pope valley, not far beyond /Etna springs, 

 I noticed a standing pine of the same species as that described 

 and of about the same dimensions as the foregoing, which was 

 full of holes. In Knight's valley, in August, 1879, I observed 

 woodpecker holes closely set in the bark of a large Douglass 

 spruce (Tsuga douglassii); and I have been informed by various 

 parties that these woodpeckers also bore and deposit acorns in 

 the bark of various species of oaks. 



Sometimes the acorn holes are made in the wood, as I have 

 been informed by a friend, Mr. C. H. Dwindle, of the University 

 of California, who has seen such holes in a species of white oak 

 in Alexander valley. He also related an instance of the " car- 

 pintero " sticking acorns in a crack between the boards in the 

 porch of a house in Redwood city, San Mateo county. 



Mr. J. W. Bice, of the University, has also observed acorns 

 stored in the white oaks near Healdsburg, in Sonoma county, as 

 well as in the cracks between the boards in and around the pro- 

 jecting eaves of barns and houses. Where the projecting rafters 

 are boxed in, sometimes they will find a hole, and at other times 

 make one, and store acorns in large quantities in such places. 



In clearing land the trees are girdled, and in about two years 

 the bark drops off, leaving the exposed wood of the trunk in a 

 sappy state, particularly on the side which is usually in the shade, 

 and this side is especially selected by the woodpeckers for their 

 purposes. They not infrequently drop acorns down chimneys, 

 where of course the result of their labor is without any advan- 

 tage. 



Upon turning to the volume on Ornithology in the Geological 

 Survey (of California) publications, in reference to this species of 

 woodpecker, it says : " They are fond of playing together around 

 the branches, uttering their rattling calls, and often darting off to 

 take a short sail in the air, returning to the same spot. They have 

 a habit, peculiar to them, of drilling small holes in the bark of 

 trees, and fitting acorns tightly into them, each one being care- 

 fully adapted and driven tight. The bark is often so full of these 

 as to scarcely leave room to crowd in another without destroying 

 the bark entirely. These are generally considered as laid up for a 

 winter supply of food ; but while in this climate no such provision 

 is necessary, it is also very improbable that birds of this family 

 would feed on hard nuts or seeds of any kind. The more prob- 



