July, 1922 ACTIVITIES OF THE CALIFORNIA WOODPECKER 115 
mentioned above. This relates to another subspecies (Melanerpes formicivorus 
albeolus) of the genus to which our bird belongs, and which lives in British Hon- 
duras. 
Not only do the Central American birds store acorns in drilled holes as do 
the Californians, but in addition they make much use of hollow trees; and it is 
in connection with this last way of garnering that Mr. Peck’s contribution is 
especially interesting. ‘‘I have seen,’’ he writes, ‘‘a hollow pine tree with a cav- 
ity six or eight inches in diameter filled for a distance of nearly twenty feet with 
acorns dropped into a good sized hole at that distance above the ground.’’ Such 
acorn-filled trees, he says, are not uncommon. Each tree-full represents, Myr. 
Peck believes, the accumulated gatherings of several years. And we read, ‘*Some- 
times an opening at the bottom showed the earlier acorns deposited, completely 
decayed and crumbling to dust.’’ 
Furthermore the author narrates that acorns are sometimes stored in houses 
in such fashion that ‘‘it would be utterly impossible for the birds ever to make 
use of the acorns in any way.’’ 
Besides this storing in quantities and places such that utilization of the 
material would be impossible even were it needed, Mr. Peck believes that food 
conditions in British Honduras are such as to make storing quite unnecessary. 
And he remarks, much to the point: ‘‘ These instances show how an over-devel- 
oped instinct may lead to actions not only useless but highly absurd.’’ My only 
comment on this statement is that, speaking strictly, such performances are due 
not so much to over-developed as under-inhibited, or badly controlled instincts. 
One more question raised by Mr. Peck, suggested by his doubts as to whether 
storage is needed at all in the midst of the tropical bounties of Honduras. All 
the facts taken together suggest, he says, that the ‘‘Central American bird was 
derived from the more northerly form or from northern ancestry, which acquired 
the instinct under conditions like those now existing in California, and that, as 
it pushed gradually into the tropics, it retained the instinct long after it had 
ceased to be of any utility.’’ But, sagely remarks Mr. Peck in conclusion, ‘‘Such 
speculations are of doubtful value.’’ So far as this popular type of speculation 
concerns the origin of maladaptive instincts its usefulness is not only doubtful, 
but, unless indulged in with great caution, is positively harmful. 
My reason for referring to the matter here is the opportunity afforded for 
making a quite different point from that of the origin of instincts, namely that 
of their persistence beyond their usefulness. 
Whether the absurd performances of these Central American woodpeckers 
are really an instance of such persistence does not matter for the point I wish to 
make. Almost certainly many, many instances of it do occur both in creatures 
below man, and in man; and the point I wish to make very particularly is that 
the inhibition or control of them to prevent their resulting in absurd perform- 
ances, is exactly part of the function of intelligence. Such activities are often 
excused or palliated on the ground that they are instinctive and natural; and 
hence must be accepted as a sort of Fate, however absurd or even harmful they 
may be. But what I wish to insist upon is that nature herself has provided, or 
more strictly is providing, the necessary remedy, this being the very phenome- 
non we name intelligence. Nowhere do we find greater willingness and facility 
in correcting destructive processes than in nature. Intelligence is sometimes 
