DOWNY WOODPECKER. 
ORDER PICI WOODPECKERS, ETC. 
Family Picide. 
The Woodpeckers are generally solitary birds, charac» 
teristically busy at all hours of the day, and little give: 
to social intercourse with their fellows. The skull and: 
chisel-like bill of the little ‘‘ hammerer” are remarkably 
strong, and wonderfully adapted to chip away bark, and 
expose the retreats of bugs and grubs; also, an exceed- 
ingly long, sharp tongue is peculiarly adapted to draw — 
out the hidden insect. The Woodpeckers are not singers, 
but their bills are really the equivalent of drum-sticks 
with which they rap out a rolling tattoo, a summons to 
their lady-loves! The rigid, pointed tail feathers of the 
birds assist them in maintaining a perpendicular position, 
through pressure against the rough bark of the tree. 
Downy This is the smallest and commonest 
Woodpecker = Woodpecker we have, and it is resident 
Dryobates i 
pubescens throughout that range of country which 
L.6.75inches extends from Florida to Labrador. Its 
Allthe year marking is a pronounced symphony in 
black and white accented by a red band; a broad stripe 
of white runs down the centre of the back ; wings black 
numerously spotted with white; a scarlet band on the 
nape of the neck; middle tail feathers black, but the 
outer ones white barred with black ; two broadish white 
stripes, one above, the other below the eye extending 
backward. The Hairy Woodpecker is similarly marked, 
but the outer tail feathers are white without bars, and it 
is nearly half as long again from bill to tail. The nest 
is usually in the hole of a dead limb; the egg is pure 
white. The female is marked like the male, but the red 
band is absent. 
Both birds are indefatigable workers in the building of 
the nest, but the female apparently loses a great deal 
of time in critically examining the premises. She ex- 
plores every nook and cranny as soon as the male bird 
has chipped away a satisfactory round opening, and then 
falis to with him at the grand act of excavation. 
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