The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1911-07-20
DON'T HURT THEM
THE WOODPECKER is A FRIEND
OF THE FARMER.
They Should Protect This Bird and
Encourage it to Nest and Increase
About Their Lands.

Encourage it to Nest and Increase
About Their Lands.
The golden dinged woodpecker,
which every boy has seen time and
again, is one of the commonest of our
birds, and one of the most useful to
man 1t has wide range, being
known in nearly every State east of
the Mississippi, and has acquired
many aliases in different parts Of the
Union such as yellow hammer, or
hammerer, flicker, hih-hole, hittuck,
yellow woodpecker, wake-up, yarrup.
1t will be noted that all these COM
mon names, as we'll as its scientific,
are strictly descriptive, referring to
some habit, color or voice of this bird
It's general name, coloptes, is Greek,
for chisel or hammer, from colopeo,
to use such tool 1t refers to the
use the bird makes of it's bill. The
other name, the specific, is Latin, for
giIded or golden, from aurum, gold,
in allusion 20 its prevailing color.
The bird is party or wholly migra-
tory in the more Northern and South
ern sections, but here in South Caro-
lima it continues Ell the year, being
confined mostly to the -woodsides
along the margin Of fields. In very
cold weather it retires to the dense
foests for shelter, bat comes out to
seek change of food. At other times
At other times it industriously hunts
and procures it's food from dead or
half dead trees
1t is often seen along the margin
of woodlots, chere it hunts among
the dead leaves oor it's insect food. In
winter it feeds mostly upon the
round, where it takes worms, gruDs,
larvae, beetles, snails, etc. 1t is an
industrious and persistent worker for
food, hunting about old logs, among
rubbish, and in everq place that ap'
pears to it's practised eye to harbor on
insect. Wood beetles or their larvae
are its favorite food-such beetles as
are harmful to the crop of trees.
A bird that passes the most Of it's
life in the forest or among trees, is
especially serviceable to lumbermen
and all the ownes of timber 1t con-
sumes hosts of wood-boring beetles,
the great pest Of may of our forest
trees; and for this invaluable service
is fully entitled to the gratitude and
protectio of every farmer and owner
of timber Sometimes it ventures to
the grain stacks for the larvae of
moths or cutworms. 1t works all the
year, too.
1t loves to linger about the borders
of forests on the sunny side of fields
especially if there is dead tree near
by, where it can build it's summer
home ad rear it's young. A colony of
them, once pleasantly located by a
field will remain in the same vicinity
for years, if not moIested or driven
away by som ecareless boy or hun
CRY pot-hunter Let the dead pines
where the woodpecker has made it's
home remain for the use of this bird
and your own benefit.
Having such colony near him the
farmer ca study the life industry anu
observe the habits of this bird at his
leisure All is not known about the
habits of this useful bird that ought
to be known; and having a family of
them near by, where it can oe observ-
ed and studied the year round. it Is
"a great advantage that every young
farmer should seize. We need to
know more about what it eats, for it
Is this mainly that determines the
values of any bird to the farmer.
We know, however, that this wood
pecker destroys insects in great vari-
ETY. and number 1t is one of the few
birds that will eat the disgusting po-
tato beetle. It is fond of field crick-
cts, and seems to have an especia.
liking for wood ants, such as are Of
ten found infesting forest trees. At
times, when ants are plentiful, and
this bird takes them at will, it's flesh
will even taste of them Snails and
beetles are its food as general thing
however.
The tonue and head of the wood
pecker are study for uhe anatomist.
It's powerful chisel-like bill; the mus
cles of its head and neck, that enable
it to do such hard work; the long,
barbed tongue, just the thin FOR
thrusting down in the deep borrows
of the wood beetles and dragging out
the larvae it feeds upon: and the long
wirey neck, that affords such lever
age power in plying its bill; all these
show the wisdom of the benevolent
Designer who gave us this useful
bird.
And the four toes, two behind and
two before, so long and strong for
supportig the bird in an upright po-
ition, and the large tendons that join
them to the muscular flesh of the leg,
could not be better contrived for the
work this bird has to perform. Tim
protect this bird and encourage It to
build and increase about their lands
State laws should protect All people
should give it carte blanche
But the protection for it would be a
good, intelligent and widespread
knowledge Of its great worth and use