434 THE RED-BREASTED SAPSUCKER. 



female: like male but duller. Young birds are said to be "gray with tlull reddish 

 suffusion as if the head had been dipped in claret wine." Length, etc.. as in 

 preceding. 



Recognition Marks. — Chewink size; bright crimscm of head, "shoulders" 

 and fore-breast distinctive ; yellow underparts. Brighter than succeeding. 



Nesting. — Xest and Eggs as in S. r. iiotkensis. 



General Range. — Northern Lower California, the I'acific Coast States and 

 British Columbia, save in northwestern portion where displaced Ijy succeeding 

 form ; retires from northern portion of range in winter. 



Range in Washington. — Summer resident and migrant chiefly along the 

 eastern slnpcs of the Cascades, shading into succeeding form west of the divide. 



Authorities. — [Lewis and Clark, Hist. Ex. (1814) Ed. Eiddle : Coues, Yol. 

 ]]. p. 183. 1 Bendire, Auk. \V,1. \'. July. 1S88. p. 230. T. D'. 



Specimens. — L. nf W. 



IT is all very well for the economic ornithologist to tell us that Sap- 

 suckers are somewhat injurious to orchard trees, but the sight of one of 

 these splendid creatures, drupjiing with a low cry to the base of a tree and 

 iiitching cof|uettishly u]) 'ts length, is enough to disarm all resentment. 

 From what spilled chalice of old Burgundy has the bird been sipping? 

 Or from what baptism of biood has be latelv escaped that he should be 

 dyed red for half his length? Recrudescent mythology, ill at ease in these 

 commercial times, ne\'ertheless casts furtive glances at him, aufl longs to 

 account in its inimitable wa_\- for the telltale color. 



Fiir nn-self, if young fruit trees will lure such beauty from the woods, 

 I will turn mchardist. Xor will I begrudge the early sap from my choicest 

 ]>i])pins. I am fond of cider m\self, but there are worthier. Drink, pretty 

 creature, drink ! 



^^^ell, of c(.)urse, there are biogra])hical details: but what of it? Have 

 vou not vourself been so smitten with beauty that you forgot to inquire 

 pedigree? Tut, now; you do not even remenil^er a single sentence she said 

 that day. But you remember her. Enough ! 



r)nce when the Ijird-man was camping on the Snoi|ualniie trail, this 

 crimson visinn ai:)];earefl al the edge of a clearing, and jiroceeded to inspect 

 our plant approvinglv ; and while the bird-man's heart was in bis mouth, it 

 lit on the tent-post and gave it two or three in(juiring raps. What need of 

 details! 



