72 PICID/E : WOODPECKERS. 



mer, at any rate in southern New England. Such relative 

 numbers may perhaps be accounted for by the fact that 

 it is a rather shy and solitary bird, especially during the 

 breeding season, — one which resorts to secluded places 

 to nest, and is therefore less likely to come under obser- 

 vation. The clearing away of the forests affects this bird 

 as it does the Pileated, though to less extent, as the 

 Hairy will often visit orchards, gardens and parks, to 

 which the greater bird is a total stranger. The nesting 

 is in no wise peculiar ; the eggs are four to six in num- 

 ber, measuring about 0.85 X 0.65, laid in May and some- 

 times early in June. The young birds differ from the 

 adults in having the top of the head bronzy red or 

 even yellow, but may always be recognized by the 

 characters given above, being much larger than the 

 Downy Woodpecker, which they so much resemble in 

 coloration. 



DOWNY WOODPECKER. 



PiCUS PUBESCENS L. 



Chars. Coloration exactly as in P. villosus, excepting that all the 

 lateral tail-feathers are barred with black and white. Size much 

 less. Length, 6.00-7.00; extent, 11.00-12.00; wing, 3.50; tail, 

 less than 3.00 ; bill, about 0.66 ; whole foot, 1.25. 



The numberless holes you have so often seen drilled 

 with regularity in rows around the trunk and large 

 branches of the apple-tree are the work of this indus- 

 trious and indefatigable little bird, whose tappings you 

 may often have heard, or whose speckled body has so 

 often put the tree-trunk in your line of vision when you 

 sought to watch the hammering and chiselling process. 



