Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-26
CUNNING OF WooDPECKERS.
California Varieties Conduct Worm
Incubators in Dead Trees.

| From the Los Angeles Herald.
Real genuine forethought is a thing with
| which birds are but seldom charged. Ma
! ture teaches her feathered children to build
| their nests In anticipation of the nesting
time. But that bird should think out sew
eral steps of a natural phenomenon and de-
| liberately plan several weeks ahead for BAN
| quets of bird delicacies is almost too much
| for the most ready believer.
| But the California woodpecker, as hand
| some a bird as ever lived on the side of
| tree, must be given the credit Of being real
| ly thinker and planner. He is a col
| lege professor, nay, logician, among his
| kind.
Have you ever seen acorns on sycamore
| trees?" is a question often put TO the tour
| list in California. No matter what ne an
swers he is driven into the country ana
there actually shown the sight; acorns on
sycamores. For in many parts OF the south
| trees, both sycamore and oak, may be seen
| with the bark drilled full Of holes and with
| a live oak acorn in every hole.
| These trees are thus decorated by the
woodpecker at infinite cost or labor ana
| truly with foresight.
Finding a dead tree or one with bark to
his TASTE the woodpecker Will commence
the drilling of small holes, usually In rows.
| Ia CHI hole is made of the diameter of ones
second finger and depth OF about an incn.
Trees may be seen that are literally pack
| marked with these holes. the openings being
the work Of successive generations of in
dustrious Woodpeckers.
The holes drilled, by actual work OF bill:
each opening has hammered into 1t live
oak acorn. Scientists have watched these
birds at their work. They hammer away at
various holes remaining only q short time
at each Then they fly away in search Of
acorns, which they carry from considerable
distances in their claws, often dropping the
slippery nuts. With the beak the nut Is
started into hole just large enough, and
not a hairs breadth too large, to receive
it. Again the hammering beak is used. ana
the nut is driven tight and fast into its
place.
So tight are the fits often of these acorns
that 1t Is almost impossible to get them
out with ones fingers The writer has seen
many unsuccessful attempts to pick out
these stored-up treasures.
But in this where Is there anything SO
wonderful? Do not many birds and insects
attempt to store food for dull times2
Wherein lies the forethought Of the wood
pecker?
The truth of the matter Is that when the
little thinker puts an acorn in its proper,
and to him expensive, hole II is not at ALI
because he has an acorn tooth. He sees
step ahead for he knows that worms will
form in each acorn and these worms are
the ultimate object of his tolls.
Holes in trees fun to build and will
keep acorns off the ground out Of reach
of pigs and other natural processes of de-
struction. Sooner or later worms will form
in acorns-and what food can woodpccker
fellow has sound sense when he sets his
table often weeks ahead of his feast OF
grubs. He looks well ahead.
This explanation of the fact that wood
peckers actually do drill and fill thousands
of holes in dead trees is very often doubted.
Yet 1t Is. put forward as a fact by many
careful observers, and is really a story that
does great credit to the woodpecker.