The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-12-02
'1te
Woodpeekers and Acerns.
How Cali forni Bird stores Up Food "a
the Winter.

How Cali Bird stores Up Food For
the Winter.
Mr.. Stearns read another interesting
paper on .The Administering Habits of
the California Weodpecker.a In Napa
county he examined fallen yellow Pine
tree, the bark of which was full of
acorn holes. Its length was IT'S feet,
and the diameter of its butt was 5 feet
10 inches, and, at 80 feet, feet inch
es. Above the ninety-foot line the
woodpecker holes were comparatively
few; neither were there any in tho first
ten feet of the trunk from the ground.
A piece of the bark twelve by twelve
inches shows sixty holes IL we take
a. average of thirty-six holes to the
oquare foot it gives us Al, 040 acorn
holes in the bark of this one tree. The
holes are drilled to receive acorns of
different sizes, for these birds are exact
workmen, and each acorn is nicely
fitted into it's special cavity. Wood
peekers reject the cups and store acerns
without them. In Knights Valley he
observed woodpecker holes in q largo
spruce tree. and was informed that they
also bore into the bark of certain oaks
to a limited extent. They have a habit
peculiar to them of drilling small holes
in the bark of several varieties of trees,
and fitting seorns tightly into them,
each one being carefully adapted and
driven tight These are generally con-
asidered as laid up for a winter supply of
food; but while in this climate no such
provision is necessary. it is also very
improbable that one of the family
would feed on hard nuts or seeds of any
kind. The more probable explanation
is that they are preserved for the sake
of the erubs they so frequently contain,
which. being very small when the acorn
falls. grow until they eat the whole in
terror, when they become a welcome
delicacy for the bird. Whether they Sc
lect only those containing grubs. or
store away all they meet with is uncer-
tain, but as they leave great numbers
in the tree untouched. it is probable
that these are sound acorns, and often
become supply to squirrels AID blue
jays. From this strange habit these in-
dastrious, yet playful and twittering
birds, have received from the early
Mexicans the name of carpenters"
and this is also adopted by many Amer
leans. Trees used by them for such
storage contain on the average about
500 pounds of acorns imbedded in their
bark. .
Mr.. Brooks remarked that Mr.. Light
ner, Der of the Academy. had
carefully observed the habits of wood
peckers and bluejays at the season
when these aeorns are generally depos-
tied, ara had desired linn to state what
he had seen, and to ask samo explana-
tons Mr. Lighter observed wood
peckcrs engaged III drilling holes in The
bark, when /. blupjar was ea to lily
close up to one and inspect the size Of
tie hol,. Some very active chippering
then onsues, when the hluej y flies
away, bus soon returns with p green
acorn without the cup, il his beak.
This he offers to the woodpee!Ser. who
takes it with his beak and ts it into
tao hole. and drives it home with a few
taps, where it remains. This process
is continually repeated. M. Ligitner
des 10 know what We're the special
benefits derived by this mutual service
conducted between an herbiverous and
O carniverous bird.
Mr.. Stearns said that great numbers
of untouched acorns remain in the
Spring, which have developed no
worms suitable as food for tic wood
pecker, and which supply nutriment to
b!ueiays and squirrels. Thus COM
munity of interest was manifest. OK
planning their joint labors.