The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1864-02-27
Aorifuitnral.
From the Germantown Telegraph, ]
THE WOODPECKER.

In our wanderings through the wood
lands of this section, we have, with
much regret, no iced the annual decrease
in numbers of the whole tribe of wood
peckers. One cause of this may doubt
lessly be attributed to the clearing off of
the forests, whereby places for building
their nests and rearing their young are
no longer to be found but by far the
greater part is owing to their being con-
SANITY hunted by almost every man and
boy who is able to procure a gun. 1t is
sorrowful fact that many farmers ad-
vocate the destruction of these birds,
! and indeed Of all birds, and do all they
can to drive them from our midst, the re-
suit of which is corresponding increase
in the insects. whose habits are so de-
structive to vegetable life! This de-
sructive warfare is not only ungenerous
and unjust, as waged against defenseless
and ignocent victims, but is against the
interest of the destroyers themselves. -
Any one who will take the trouble to
watch some of the woodpecker tribe for
single season, and note with what Gag
erness they examine every tree in the
orchard and in the forest, in search of
their favorlte food-the larva of insects
will doub.lessly see enough to satisfy
himself that they are among his best
friends instead of being his enemies,
and will then throw around them every
protection in his power.
The amount of labor that these birds
perform in order 10 obtain their food, is
often truly surprising. An insance.ot
this kind late y came under our notice,
VIII ch well illustrates this point. A
pair of red headed woodpeckers were
freequen ly seen in a small s rip OF
woods lac last autumn, and as the most
OF that species had already gone to other
chimes, these attrac ed the attention of
the owner of the woods. For several
days they we're noticed around the top
of "a white oak tree that had just begun
to show signs of decay, and seemed very
industrious, pecking away at the limbs
as if in search of food. A short time
after they had disappeared, the owner
thinking the tree was on the decline, cut
holes had been drilled in the limbs by
these birds. Que of these we no.
ticed was made into the centre of llmb
three inches in diameter, in order to OBJ.
tain the larva of a species of insect 1.-THE
buqretls,) which is very destructive to
the trees IN which they are found. The
grub had doubteSsly been caught by
the bird, as its operations had ceased al
that spot, and it was not 10 be found
anywhere in the limb. This hole was
funnel shaped, more than an inch in d.
ametcr at the top, and one and a half
inches deep, extending to the centre of
the limb where the grub had been at
work. AS the limb was perfectly sound
aud the wood as solid as that Of the
white oak generally is, we can form some
idea Of the immense labors required Of
the bird to drill such hole, and we
must give ii credit for very persevering
habits, as 1t doubtlessly required many
hours of toll for it to perfora this solid
oak to obtain for itself less han half a
breakfast, and that too when profusion
of o her kinds of food much more readi-
ly obtained was near at hand.
But what shall we say Of the instinct
that would point out to a bird the exact
spot where grub, one and half inches
beneath the surface, was gnawing away
at the very vitals of the tree Surely
such instinct must approach nearly to
reason, that would teach it to apply its
acute ear, so as to detect, by the slight
noise made, the presence of grub in
its dark retreat. and to know that it
would furnish delicious morsel for a
meat! Af.er observing such a mouu-
ment of labor for SO small recompcncei
we feel more than ever that the red-head,
and indeed all the tribe of woodpeckers,
are the tanners friends, and that if farm
ers consult their own interests in the
future they will protect such birds from
the murderous assaults Of all minimizing
men and boys. J.C.M.
Philadelphia, Feb. s, 1864