Red-headed Woodpeckers. 
This bird is a rare visitor in this 
vicinity, seldom more than one or two 
being seen during the season, and then 
only while migrating, usually in the Fall, 
but very rarely in the Spring. The first 
one observed this season was on the 10th 
of September. On the 12tli I saw three, 
and on the 20th I saw one. Early on the 
morning of the 24th of September they 
began to pass over in large numbers, and 
continued to pass until about ten o’clock, 
after which very few were seen, except 
straggling groups of three or four, and oc- 
casionally a single one* was seen to pass 
over during the day. The flight must have 
consisted of several hundred, principally 
young birds. They came from the east 
and were flying west. Many of them in 
their flight would alight for a few minutes 
in the orchards and corn fields to feed on 
the half-ripened corn, or search among the 
apple trees for the larva or eggs of insects 
but would soon continue on their journey, 
and their places would be supplied by 
others. I noticed one or two to dart out 
and seize an insect in the manner of a fly- 
catcher. The following day but two or 
three were seen. A few stragglers, how- 
ever, were occasionally met with up to the 
10th of October, and one was seen as late 
as the 23d of November. I secured seve- 
ral specimens. Upon dissecting them I 
found their stomachs filled with remnants 
of acorns and insects. — A. II. Helme , 
Miller s Place, Ij. I. 
O.&o . VII. Apr. 3.00?!, P- 
Red-headed Woodpecker. — Mr. A. H. 
Helme’s note on this bird calls to mind an 
instance of the fly-catching habit of the 
Hairy Woodpecker. In June, 1881,. while 
spending a few days in the wilds of the 
Adirondacks, I found a nest of this bird 
in front of my camp, in the decayed limb 
of a pine, containing several young birds. 
Every morning one of the parents occu- 
pied itself quite faithfully in capturing in- 
sects (in nearly every case large and easily 
discernable ones), in the intervals of its 
more dignified labor of searching the bark 
of the trees. These insects were always 
fed to the young. Perhaps it is not gen- 
erally known that fly-catching is quite a 
common part of the Woodpecker's every 
day life ; but the instances are so many, 
and come from such varied sources (includ- 
ing nearly all the species that are more or 
less well known), that it can no longer be 
considered an individual peculiarity. — S. I. 
WiUard, Chicago, III. . 
O.&b. VIir.Tnb. 18 Sa p 7^*2 
7 ? 
