Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-05-28
E. XTINCTION

be the pileated woodpecker instead of the
ivory-bill. At a distance the two species
appear strikingly similar, and it will be
safe to assume that identification of the
larger form should be based upon a skin
whose label fixes the time and place of coll
lection and the name of the fortunate col
lector who took the prize.
The writer spent several months of the
years 1901 and 1902 in the gulf coast region
of Louisiana and Texas, especially along
the bayous Plaquemine and des Cannes in
the former state and along Trinity river in
the latter. Pleated woodpeckes were toll
erably common in Texas twenty to thirty
miles from salt water, and there is little
doubt that an ivory-bill was occasionally
seen, but none were taken. One ivory
billed woodpecker was shot by an employe
on rice farm irrigated from the Bayou
Plaquemine in 1902, and this bird furnished
the only positive assurance obtained in
that region of the presence of the species
named. That this giant woodpecker per-
sists in few localities of the far south in
spite of the fact that almost every mans
hand is against 1t Is principally due to the
birds extreme wariness, Its powerful
flights from and into the tops OF the very
highest trees and to the common location
of it's nest, which is high up and beyond
the reach of most of its enemies. This
nest is usually carved out of the solid
trunk of forest giant. whose leafy crown
serves to conceal an opening which dis
lance dwarfs, but does not wholly hide.
The nests are seldom, If ever, disturbed,
the high tree tops almost exclusively
makes capture still more difficult. The ex-
cavation enters the green trunk horizon
tally and usually beneath a large limb,
says Audubon, then turns directly down.
ward, continuing sometimes to depth or
three feet. The burrow is seven inches IN
diameter within, but the opening presents
the appearance of being much too small
for the bird to enter.
Messrs. Baird Brewer and Ridgway IN
1871 said of the ivory-bill that 1T was
chiefly restricted to the extreme southern
part of the United States bordering the
gulf. This was written third or CEN
fury ago, and the changes wrought since
then are shown in the fewer localities
where the bird may now be found and N
the greatly reduced numbers which inhabit
those districts where determination is not
yet complete. Only the especially favored
student of birds in the United states mas
now the privilege of studying the life his
tory of this magnificent woodpecker, ana
then only under the most trying circum-
stances. While the date of final and conf
p,ete determination may not be fixed. moth
ing can ne more certain than that prae-
teal extinction Is near at hand. BY tho
time another third of a century passes
away If any yet remain, they will exist
among the cypress tops festooned with
Spanish moss in the most impenetrahle
swamps of the farther south, a home the
hunter cannot invade If he would.
1t may be said in closing that few FAM
lies of birds, taken as a group, are moro
beneficial to the farmer and the fruit
only "black sheep of the family is the
sapsucker, whose status has not yet been
finally determined. But the very great
majority of the woodpeckers, including the
ivory-bill, deserve a far better fate than
that which now confronts the latter. De-
struction of this valuable family means IN
creased insect life and decreased harves,s
wherever the woodpeckers are destroyed