946 The American Naturalist. [ November, 
cannot be omitted henceforth in cases where the other characters render’ 
the question of affinity uncertain. 
In the Sauria the male intromittent organ or hemipenis, presents 
much variety of structure, showing some parallels to the corresponding 
part in the snakes. It is, however, rarely spinous, as is so generally 
the case in the Ophidia, the only spinous forms being, so far as I have 
examined, the American Diploglossine and genera allied to Cophias. 
The higher Sauria have the apical parts modified, as in the Ophidia, 
by the presence of calyculi. Such are characteristic of the Rhipto- 
glossa and Pachyglossa. The Nyctisaura possess the same feature. 
The Diploglossa, Helodermatoidea and Thecaglossa have the organ 
flounced, the flounces often pocketed or repand on the margin. In the 
Leptoglossa we have laminz only ; in the Tiide mostly transverse, and 
in the Scincide mostly longitudinal. In various genera terminal 
papillz are present. The organ may be simple or bifurcate or merely 
bilobate. I have not met with the case so common in the Ophidia, 
where the sulcus spermaticus is bifurcate and the organ undivided. 
The structures of the hemipenis have a constant systematic value. 
As in the Ophidia, the value differs with the character, but it varies 
from generic to superfamily in rank.—E. D. Corr 
Food habits of Woodpeckers.—A preliminary report on the 
food habits of Woodpeckers has been published by F. E. L. Beal, the 
assistant ornithologist in the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. The paper is 
based on the examinations of 679 stomachs of Woodpeckers, represent- 
ing 7 species—all from the eastern United States. The results of the 
author’s investigations are summarized as follows: 
“In reviewing the results of these investigations and comparing one 
species with another, without losing sight of the fact that comparative 
good is not necessarily positive good, it appears that of 7 species con- 
sidered the Downy Woodpecker is the most beneficial. This is due in 
part to the great number of insects it eats, and in part to the nature of 
its vegetable food, which is of little value to man. Three-fourths of its 
food consists of insects, and few of these are useful kinds. Of grain, 
it eats practically none. his greatest sin we can lay at its door is the 
dissemination of poison iv 
“The Hairy Woodpecker probably ranks next to the Downy in 
point of usefulness. It eats fewer ants, but a relatively larger percent- 
age of beetles and caterpillars. Its grain eating record is trifling; two 
stomachs taken in September and October contained corn. For fruit, 
it seeks the forests and swamps, where it finds wild cherries, grapes, and 
