204 WOODPECKERS 



smaller; under parts pure white instead of smoky hvown, and under tail 

 coverts immaculate instead of spotted or barred with black, and outer tail 

 feathers nearly pure white. Wing 4, tail 2.02, bill .73. 



Distribution. — Breeds in Transition and Canadian zones of the Rocky 

 Mountain region in British Columbia and the United States, and in south- 

 ern California. 



Nest. — 5 to 50 feet from the ground. Eggs : 5 or 6, white. 



In Arizona Dr. Mearns found the Batchelder woodpecker nesting 

 in the yellow pine belt, and going up into the spruces on the cone 

 of San Francisco Mountain. One of the birds picked out a dry 

 aspen, and drummed regularly about his camp. 



394c. D. p. medianus (Swains.). Downy Woodpecker. 



Like D. p. gairdnerii, but wing coverts conspicuously spotted with white 

 and under parts soiled whitish. Wing : 3.72, tail 2.40, bill .60. 



Distribution. — Middle and northern parts of eastern United States, 

 north to southern Keewatin. 



The downy woodpecker is a quiet, friendly little bird who prefers 

 to hunt wood-borers in orchards rather than in deep forests, and 

 who will gladly come to a tree beside the house if a bit of suet is 

 hung there for him. He is so absorbed in his good work that he 

 goes about his business with little fear of man, and his sharp peek, 

 peek, may often be heard even from city trees. 



396. Dryobates scalaris bairdi (Malh.). Texan Woodpecker. 



Adult male: Upper parts, including entire outer tail feathers, barred 

 black and white, but middle tail feathers plain 

 black ; forehead smoky and crown red, crown 

 feathers with red preceded by specks of white ; 

 "yIs'^I^** under parts smoky, lightly spotted with black. 



Adult female : similar, but crown black. Young : 

 crown more or less extensively red. Length: 7.00-7.75, wing 3.90-4.25, 

 tail 2.45-2.75 exposed culmen .83-.93. 



Remarks. — See remarks under Dryobates nuttallii. 



Distribution. — Resident in Lower Sonoran zone from Texas to Califor- 

 nia, and from southern Colorado to Utah, Nevada, and south to northern 

 Mexico. 



Nest. — Usually 5 to 14 feet from the ground in pines, oaks, junipers, 

 mesquite, hackberry. agaves, yuccas, and other trees ; also fence posts and 

 telegraph poles. Eggs : usually 4 or 5, white. 



Food. — Wood-boring larvae, weevils, ants, and the ripe fruit of the giant 

 cactus. 



The little Texan downy or ' speckle-check,' as it is called, is a 

 bird of the lowlands, rarely going above five thousand feet. In 

 western Texas it is more generally distributed than any other wood- 

 pecker, occurring alike in Upper and Lower Sonoran zones among 

 the junipers, oaks, and piiion pines of the Chisos, Davis, and 

 Guadalupe mountains, and among cottonwoods, willows, mesquites, 

 and yuccas of the hot valleys. In the mountains it is found with 



