6 THE WOODPECKERS 



Sometimes the colors are " solid/' as in the red- 

 headed woodpecker ; sometimes they lie in close 

 bars, as in the red-bellied species ; sometimes in 

 spots and stripes, as in the downy and hairy ; 

 but there is always a contrast, never any blend- 

 ing of hues. The red or yellow is laid on in 

 well-defined patches square, oblong, or cres- 

 centic upon the crown, the nape, the jaws, or 

 the throat ; or else in stripes or streaks down 

 the sides of the head and neck, as in the log-cock, 

 or pileated woodpecker. 



There is no rule about the color markings of 

 the sexes, as in some families of birds. Usually 

 the female lacks all the bright markings of the 

 male ; sometimes, as in the log-cock, she has them 

 but in more restricted areas ; sometimes, as in 

 the flickers, she has all but one of the male's 

 color patches ; and in a few species, as the red- 

 headed and Lewis's woodpeckers, the two sexes 

 are precisely alike in color. In the black- 

 breasted woodpecker, sometimes called William- 

 son's sapsucker, the male and female are so 

 totally different that they were long described 

 and named as different birds. It sometimes 

 happens that a young female will show the color 

 marks of the male, but will retain them only the 

 first year. 



Though the woodpeckers cling to the trunks 



