210 



WOODPECKERS 



north through the Rocky Mountains region of the United States and 

 Canada to Fort Liard. 



Nest. — Described by Dr. Mearns, in a pine oO feet from the ground, 

 containing- 5 white eggs. 



Food. — Largely wood-boring- larvae. 



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

 largely in the fire-blackened timber. 



GENUS SPHYRAPICUS. 



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

 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 ADOLT MALES. 



1. Head, neck, and chest red. 



2. Belly yellow 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 tliyroideus, p. 212. 



2. Upper parts black, spotted with white. 



o. Nape brownish white varius, p. 210. 



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



402 Sphyrapieus varius {Linn.). Yellows-bellied Sapsucker. 

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



brownish white, and black malar 



stripes separating- red of throat 



from white cheek stripes. Adidt 



. '"^ "^ female : throat entirely white, and 



\ ' ( V ^ * ^ '^ crown sometimes without red. 



^ ' t''^*r't^^^<--\^^%v, Young: head, neck, and chest 



1 *^rf' r'«"'*'l^V»!^ mottled brown, the color pattern 



'/rr'' "f ^ ^lmjMJr/ of adults only faintly indicated. 



■ ' {\ \^f\r^'^^ Length: 7.75-8.75, wing (male) 



U ■ ^ V 'r c\f J />/ S 4.80-5.00, tail 2.90-3.20, bill 1.00- 



/-^P\\ '' *Vl|'/i^Sw Distribution. — Breeds in east- 



^ ^ \ ^ l^ 'mJI^ t'rn North America, from north 



'/^"uas ^ \l \l1riv' '^ - *- ^^ Fort Simpson to Massachu- 



\ ^^^1 ^ ^^ setts ; south in winter to West 



I \ ^ mm '' '^ ~ ' Indies, Mexico, and Costa Rica. 



- ^<^ ll3|f Nest. — In dead or decaying 



>^^^'^ I tra&f, , trees. 15 to 00 feet from the 



/ 1 ^^k V^*^ -- ground. Fggs : 4 to 7, white. 



■^ I •^t'ly^^ "^ Food. — Large numbers of ants 



1 and flies, also bugs, wasps, crick- 



From Biological Survey, I". S. Dept. of Agriculture, ets, and other insectS. wild f ruits. 



Fig. 27G. 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 squarisli holes on its food trees. If 



