210 WOODPECKERS 



north throug-h the Rocky Mountains region of the United States and 

 Canada to Fort Liard. 



]S[est. — Described by Dr. Mearns, in a pine 30 feet from the ground, 

 containing 5 white eggs. 



Food. — Largely wood-boring larvae. 



The Alpine three-toed resembles the American, being found like it 

 largely in the fire-blackened timber. 



GENUS SPHYBAPICUS. 



General Characters. — Bill not so stout and chisel-like as in Dryobates 

 and Picoides, wedge-shaped, pointed, nasal groove extending only about 

 half way to tip of bill ; tongue scarcely extensile, the tip brushy ; tail 

 feathers long, pointed ; feet with inner toe extremely short. 



KEY TO ADULT MALES. 



1. Head, neck, and chest red. 



2. Belly yeUow ruber, p. 211. 



2'. Belly olive yellow. Northwest coast . . . notkensis, p. 212. 

 1'. Head, neck, and chest with black, white, and red. 



2. Upper parts glossy black thyroideus, p. 212. 



2'. Upper parts black, spotted with white. 



3. Nape brownish white varius, p. 210. 



3'. Nape more or less tinged with red nuchalis, p. 211. 



402 Sphyrapious varius (Linn.). Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. 

 Adult male. — Similar to the red-naped sapsucker (402a), but nape 



brownish white, and black malar 



i^^^] ^' stripes separating red of throat 



\<'\'i ,.»^ -=- . from white cheek stripes. Adult 



female : throat entirely white, and 



^ <^\\\ crown sometimes without red. 



' t<'*''^t*t^S^'^^^?^^ yoM»5' ; head, neck, and chest 



'( f f ^ff 'i\iJ\'|^H^^|]1||' mottled brown, the color pattern 



'Y ' '-V^f '''^^li^// 7a ^^ adults only faintly indicated. 



' "r 1 1 ^rc^W^ ^ael ^ /f Length: 7.75-8.75, wing (male) 



/Vc'''^ /"^''W " l>' 4. 80-5.00, taU 2.90-3.20, bUl 1.00- 



'*^^^'*lM 'm.^ Distribution. — Breeds in east- 



I I Ml^^iHi. 'ISl^ I ®^" North America, from north 



\1 V''' A^S^^uf^^—^ ^^ "^^'^^ Simpson to Massachu- 



' ' ^ ^^^^^^^^'^^'^%f setts ; south in winter to West 



'''J&^ ' 1 ^Hw^fe^^^^ ~ Indies, Mexico, and Costa Rica. 



-^M^f^\ ^ MM^fi^-^ iV"f.s^ — In dead or decaying 



jSSk^^ ^'" trees, 15 to 60 feet from the 



"^^I^W^^-L ground. Eggs: 4 to 7, white. 

 ^OTMt//'^ ' " Food. — Large numbers of ants 



'^^' "^'i and flies, also bugs, wasps, crick- 



From Biological Survey, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, ets, and other insects, wild fruits. 



Fig. 276. seeds, nuts, inner bark, and sap. 



The eastern sapsucker has been found west of the hundredth 

 meridian in Texas. Like the other sapsuckers it leaves a blazed 

 trail behind it, — a girdle of squarish holes on its food trees. If 



