YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER. 
paddle, but one is not allowed to come too near, and I 
think a matter of fifteen feet is the limit, at that point 
occurs a strident and cackling adieu! 
Family Picide. 
Yellow-bellied This is one of our most beautiful and 
Sepsnceer interesting spring birds; it is one of the 
Sphyrapicus 
wea: commonest woodpeckers of northern New 
L.8.55 inches York and New England, arriving from the 
April 15th south about April 15th, the autumn migra- 
tion occurring between September 20th and November Ist, 
but winter records of the bird are common in the warmer 
portions of the northeastern States. The breeding ground 
extends throughout the boreal zone of eastern America 
from the highlands of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Minne- 
sota northward to Quebec, Ungava, and Mackenzie. It 
winters from southern New York and Illinois southward to 
the Gulf coast and eastern Mexico. Its coloring is unique; 
crown and throat deep scarlet-red margined with black, a 
broad crescent-shaped band of black below the scarlet 
on the upper breast, upper parts more or less barred with 
black’ and yellowish white, a conspicuous, irregularly 
broad, white wing-bar, wing feathers black barred with 
white, tail feathers black except inner webs of middle pair, 
base of the tail largely white, under parts strongly tinged 
with yellow especially on the border of the black crescent. 
The female has a white instead of scarlet throat. Nest 
excavated in a dead tree about twenty-five feet from the 
ground. Egg, china white. 
The note of this Sapsucker is a high-pitched, clear call 
which Mr. Brewster interprets as cleur given several 
times in succession. I am placing that note on the staff 
exactly where it belongs, although it has no musical merit 
and is simply a quick-swinging tone from highest G to B 
flat: 
Twice 8va. 
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