Woodpeckers and Other Science Errors
![Image](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghoq8Z8CqO5ztew8X8KCsZtL6pvFD7dhiD57vd_n-mKIS000OOT1ih2wTZySODxkYeBfHAUobbB-5h30C76dCCmoFQDm2pODSGMPPVuj-gF6XDtdzvKDFwjKAZAOojfwDrFiVrP9HYzkj22pRzk_yyytUWOuXQwJPOtMU6YF9OkTaD3FYNhQEZcAdtxzVh/w230-h320/Downy%20and%20hairy%20woodpeckers%20by%20Louis%20Agassiz%20Fuertes,%20from%20Birds%20of%20New%20York,%201910%20and%201914%20(PD).jpg)
In an unusual series of events, Lisa Myworries, supervisor of the Winkie Guards at the Darwin Ranch, sent word to me to help her get some supplies. Apparently the other ranch hands were busy, so I hitched up the buckboard, headed west on Folly Road past Stinking Lake, and on toward Deception Pass. Aside from a few glowers from the Winkie Guards, the trip was uneventful. On the way back, Lisa started talking about birds. Woodpeckers are her favorite. She mentioned the shock-absorbing bone in their skulls. I was reluctant to correct her, but I felt compelled. Downy and hairy woodpeckers from Birds of New York by Louis Agassiz Fuertes , 1910 & 1914 (PD) Correcting someone on a small detail is seldom worthwhile, especially a friend. If it must be done, it should be done gently. Let her keep her dignity. "Actually," I said, "that was a scientific truism for many years but was recently rejected. More deliberate thinking, better science, and all that good stuff. I mistake