256 GLEANINGS FROM NATURE. 



of common names, the most familiar of which in the 

 "red-bellied woodpecker." Others are "zebra bird," 

 " woodchuck," or "chuck," "Carolina 

 woodpecker" and "checkered wood- 

 pecker;" while its scientific name is 

 Mdanerpes carolinus (L.). The first part of this name, 

 Melanerpes, is the name of the genus and corresponds 

 to our surnames of Jones, Brown, etc. It is derived 

 from two Greek words and means "black creeper." 

 The second part, carolinus, corresponds to our given 

 names of John, Mary, etc., although it is always writ- 

 ten after the sur or generic name. It is derived from 

 " Carolina," from which region the first specimens were 

 described by Linnaeus, the noted Swedish naturalist 

 of the last century. 



Thus, each kind of bird, as well as each kind of 

 organic object which has been noted and studied by 

 man, has a double Latin name by which it is known 

 to naturalists in every country on earth ; while it may 

 have a dozen common names in the restricted locality 

 where it is found. There are thousands of birds of 

 this name in Indiana, but they are all very nearly 

 alike that is of one species and hence have the 

 same Latin name; while those woodpeckers which 

 differ materially in size, color, etc., have different Latin 

 names, as we shall see on the following pages. 



The red-bellied woodpecker is about ten inches in 

 length from tip of bill to end of tail. The back and 

 wings are very prettily barred with narrow black and 

 white bands, whence the less used but more suitable 

 name of " zebra bird." In the male the ejitire upper 

 surface of the head and neck is a bright scarlet-red, 



