The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-25
VERY ABLE OODPECKERS.
EXPLOITS CREDITED TO THE BIRDS
IN CALIFORNIA.


CLOVERDADE, Cal. April 1O.-Thc Cnlifor-
MIA woodpecker tPictn Cdiifornicus) next 10
the magpie tPicd cuudatd) Ia the most mig
chievous bird in this section Of the United
States. In.slzo he II much smaller than the
Canadian woodpecKer. the losser-spotted wood.
peckcr. or the imperial woodpecker found on
the AtlaDtic.coast. being about AZ large as the
Eastern robin, His.plumaRe differs from that
OF any other species of the woodpecker family.
large rs IL Is. The head of tho malo Is very
handsome. On top Il. shows three %colors,
white. black, and red. clearly ard distinctly
defined, asif with q brush. His throat 10
cream yellow and white. His back is black
and white. black predominating. The breast
Is beautifully notified In black and white,
many feathers having n black centre with
white on each side. ThrouRh the centre Of
tho wing there is a streak of white IN inch in
width. Tho rest of the pinion Is black.
The most remarkable thing about the body
of the California woodpecker is his tongue. 1t
10 very long. varying in length from three and
q half TO four inches. For hale nn inch at tho
point It consists Of n bony substance which Is
very hard and extremely sharp. capable of
puncturing the lardest,wood In the forests Of
the State. With the tongue the bird does all
bis drilling, differing entirely in this respect
from the Eastern woodpec!:or. who uses his
bill. With his needle pointed tongue the Cal.
ifornia wooapecker can cut the smallest knot
ont OF n dry limb of the California mahogany,
which Is nearly as hard rs flint. and often re-
sists the woodsman'r axe. The tail Of the
woodpccl;er is also worthy OF study. 1t con.
sists OF ten strong feathers. These separate in
the centre, five being on a side. They are
punched. and to the casual observer appear as
one. Extending below the rib Of each nre two
pointP rs delicate as a fine needle. Tie object
OF this formation is obvious to those who study
the BIRDS habits. These feathers the wood
Decker drives into the tree or thing on which he
Is working at an..anEle of about forty-fivo de-
grees. He thus supports his weight. This en-
ables him tn hold his body perpendicularly. his
legs being free to move forward as each blow
Is given and to recede when its force is ex-
pended, thus giving effectiveness To his work.
Tho California woodpecker is the enemy OF
the rancher and wocdman, the horti-
c%ulturist and tho vineynrdist. There is no end
to his destrrctlveness and he is ruthlessly
slain wherever found. He is perpetually at
war with civilization, and 1t will be only q
short time before the Legislature Of. 1.-THE State
puts n bounty ION his scalp. thus encouraging
his destruction. He Is distinctively anative OF
the State. He Is more loyal to his birthplace
than the native son or native daughter of the
Golden West On the north he is never found
above Del Norte. Siskiyou, and Modoc counties,
the most northern counties In the State. On
The east he holds inviolata the State line. never
having been seen in Nevada, while on the south
Arizona and Mexico are unknown to him.
The climate OF Sonoma county and It's sur.
roundings seem'particularly favorable tor the
California woodpe.kei. AT Petalupn and
Santa Rosa, which are the great poultry CEN
tres OF the State. he does immense damage. lie
is fastidious in his tastes; he is an epicure. lik-
ing nothing hut the best the market affords He
is passioDa.ely fond of the germs in eggs. Near
Santa Rosa Is located the great poultry ranch
OF Rudolph Spreckels, son Of Claus Spreckels,
the California sugar king. Mr.. Spreckels. In
establishing his poultry plant. has expended a
fortune. lie has quarters for Ii. 1000 LAYING
hens. He is making a business OF raising
broilers for the Snn Francisco market. He has
ten incubators OF oo0-egg capacity each. Thev
are arranged In rowe, bAcs TO back, In the In
cubator house. On March Q Mr.. Stillman.
the foreman. started up five OF .ho incubators
at their full capacity. Shortly after the eggs
had been placed on the trays the weather DO
came warm. and the incubator house was
opened for several days for q few hours at a
time. Iwenty-one days later Mr. Stillman WAS
astonished at the result OF the hatch. ,Out Of
appearance. Mr.. StillInan made a careful In
spection OF the unmatched eggs. and was still
more surprised to ind that IN nearly every in
stance the egg had beeh punctured and the
germ extracted. The breeders wee pulled
between the backs Of the brooders there was
DAYS early in March. wten the incubator
house WAS open. the woodpeck-rs had entered
and drilled holes into the backs OF the Incu
bators, thus getting at tho eggs and removing
now in killing woodpeckers than in raising
broilers for the saA Francisco market.
Gi iii a MnFo ppop SpssnEs, of sU she apri G = y la d; Il;
engaged IN tho breeding OF live stock. Some
distance from the house Mr.. Gillian has a small
year the trees We're heavily laden. and Mr..
Gillian expected "a large crop for liable use.
crop. he went to the orchard and found the
trees bare. The disappearance OF the almonds
remained a mystery until late in the fall. when
most limb Of a large white oak tree and eating
alnio,ds, Nearly a peek. II almond shuek,
his father. : Mr. Giillia9 i fesoPss% thu the ' sfun *
OF the tree and found Il honsScombed with
littie receptacle OF It's own Just an in h and
half deep. The holes were n quarter OF an
inch ap%rt and were as REGULAR as those in q
was i've feet in diameter, Mr.. Gillian had it
strange sigh: was presented, From the base
OF the trunk 70 the highest limb almonds were
t bashais or OF tho nnl na1s. '0q HI, .f Gna 1 mSre ers ,na ,n'T re-,
paid him for tho loss OF the oak. Whom tho
woodmen commenced peelinR or the bark and
-. i'.'u "o'o Va iIA oupi
"Woodpeckera."
1t was then that George recalled the fact
that when tho crow was sitting on tho limb
munching the almonds there werS n number
of woodpeckors flying about screaming loudly
and frequently dartiuK hercely at tho sable
bird as much rs to say: You trespasser. leave
those almonds Alone"
+. A.berts. the most extensive vit.culturist
In Sonoma county. has had costly experiences
with the wood pecker. AT Cloverdalc he has
several hundred acres In wine u apps. His
winery Is an immense affair. having q storage
capacity of 900, 900 gallons. On Feb. IS last
tn. winery doors were opened to ventilnta the
cellar. Late In the afternoon IL clouded
up and commenced raining. 1t ra!ned
time no one visited the cellar. On the
fourth day Mr.. Alterfs entered the winery
and discovered the cement floor flooded with
wine to n deLth OF two inches. An inspection
OF tho tanks disclosed a hole n little more than
half an inch In diameter in a a, 900 gallon tank
which had contained port wine. The hole was
three inches from the chime at the bottom of
the tank. Very little wine remained In the
large vat. On q bench containing tools Mr..
Alberts found three woodpe skors In a hilari-
Gus state OF intox'cation. They were killed
and mounted, and now adorn the ufice.
1T Is impossible 70 approximate the damage
done to the redwood forests Of California by the
wood pecker.n said Prof. J. A. Gould of the
Duncan's Mills school recently TO THE SON