330 HISTORY OF THE 



Sphyrapicus varius (Linn.). 



YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER. 

 PLATE XXII. 



Mi2;ratory; rare. Arrive the last of March to middle of 

 April; return in October. 



B. 85. li. 369. C. 446. G. 169, 154. U. 402. 



Habitat. North America, north and east of the Rocky 



Mountain slope; breeding from the northern United States 



northward; south in winter throughout Mexico, to Guatemala; 



West Indies. 



Sp. Char. "Third quill longest; second a little shorter; first between fourth 

 and fifth, considerably shorter. General color above black, much variegated 

 with white. Feathers of the bacli and rump brownish white, spotted with black. 

 Crown crimson, bordered by black on the sides of the head and nape. A streak 

 from above the eye, a broad stripe from the bristles of the bill, passing below 

 the eye and into the yellowish of the belly, enclosing a black postocular one, 

 and a stripe along the edges of the wing covert, white. A triangular broad 

 patch of scarlet on the chin, bordered on each side by black stripes from the 

 lower mandible, which meet behind and extend into a large quadrate spot on 

 the breast. Kest of under parts yellowish white, or yellow, streaked and banded 

 on the sides with black. Inner web of inner tail feather white, spotted with 

 black. Outer feathers black, edged and spotted with white. Quills spotted 

 with white. Female with the red of the throat replaced by white. Innnature 

 bird without black on the breast, or I'ed on top of the head, as in every inter- 

 mediate stage to the perfect plumage." 



Iris brown; bill and claws brownish black; legs and feet 

 olive green. 



This is about the western limit of this attractive migrant; 

 eastward it is a common bird, breeding chiefly north of the 

 United States, seldom south of 42°. These birds are rather si- 

 lent as a rule, but at times noisy, uttering harsh, querulous notes, 

 and are great drummers. They are not shy or suspicious; vis- 

 iting the orchards and trees about dwellings. Their tongues 

 are only slightly extensile, not long enough to probe for and 

 successfully reach the wood-eating larva, as is the case with all 

 of our Woodpeckers not of this genus; and they therefore hunt 

 more like the Nuthatches and Creepers, for the various forms of 



