/ The Downy Woodpeckers would, how- 
frlJjCC. . e ! er ’ eat , the meat ’ but onl y in small quan- 
l.'iE). ! and at long intervals. They are in- 
yil /JX qU1Sltlve birds > and seemed merely to try 
&€C. /to lt t0 sat isfy their curiosity. 
fa. /S 75 These Sapsuckers are very fond of 
frozen fruit, however, and one year when 
we had a few grapes and pears which 
were frozen on the vines and trees, they 
and the Flickers made quick work of 
them, and even tried scratching about the 
roots of the vines for fallen grapes. 
Winter Food of Birds in the South, 
O. S. Brimley , Raleigh, N.O. 
Little Sapsucker, (Ficus pubescens ). Berries 
and insects constitute its winter food in about 
equal proportions. 
O.& O. XII. July 1967 p. 106 
A Woodpecker destroying Cocoons.-This habit of the Woodpecker is 
something new to me, and may have an interest for others. It was D b 
served by my friend, Mr. Frank W. Ritchie, who, writing from I el 
ville, Quebec, under date of November 21, says - “A few davs ’ 1 
discovered a Downy Woodpecker tearing open a cocoon. I d oveThe 
bird away several times, but it persisted until it had gathered the contents 
also noticed near by two other cocoons which had been emptied similar- 
ly. Montague Chamberlain, Si. John , JV. B. 
Auk, I, Jan,, 1884. p . ^ 3 , 
The Downy Woodpecker an Enemy 
of the Codling Moth. 
It is an accepted fact, I believe, among 
ornithologists and entomologists, that the 
Downy Woodpecker feeds upon the larva of 
the Codling Moth. I was not aware, though, 
until a few days ago that the larva were ex- 
tracted from the apples. Standing beneath 
a large pippin tree on the morning of July 
25, a fine red-headed male Downy dropped 
down into it; with a loud “good morning” 
he soon moved out among the outer 
| branches, commenced picking an apple and 
| quickly pulled out a worm and devoured it, 
| then passed along inspecting the apples un- 
| til he found one with a little pile of excre- 
J mental pellets on the surface, which told of 
i the presence of the larva inside, which larva 
; was in the stomach of Mr. Downy in less 
■ time than it takes to tell it. I watched him 
repeat the operation again and again. Never 
once did he open a sound apple. 
It seems a pity that the average farmer is 
so prejudiced against one of his best friends, 
but then its “ that darned little sapsucker ” 
whose harmless boreings he imagines will 
f injure his apple trees. B enj am in Hoag. 
IStephentown, New York. 
. *?. yi . 
Downy Woodpecker ; sixteen examined, ten 
I contained insects, and nine seeds. 
(P.XllT h. /t/2. 
0.& Q.Vol.18, Aug. 1893 p;117 
