72 BIRDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN 



20. Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 



Sphyrapicus varius 



There have been four spring visits of the 

 Sapsucker in the Garden. The arrival of 

 the species on the first three occasions was 

 each time on April 24 or 25 ; namely, two 

 birds were noted in 1903 for a single day; 

 two male birds were seen in 1905, one re- 

 maining to the third day ; and a female bird 

 was seen on April 25 and 26 in 1906. In 

 1908 a male bird appeared on April 17 and 

 was not seen the next day. 



In October, 1908, two Sapsuckers were 

 seen in the Garden on the eighth day, one 

 remaining to the next day ; and another, a 

 male bird, appeared on the nineteenth and 

 was seen again the day following. 



The Sapsucker, therefore, proves to be 

 as frequent a visitor to the Garden in 

 the spring as the downy woodpecker, but 

 visitants remain a shorter time. The only 

 autumn records are those of 1908. 



