YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER. 



402. Sphyrapicus varius. S l / 2 inches. 



Male with a scarlet crown and throat; female with 

 a scarlet crown and white throat; young with the head 

 and neck mottled gray and white, with a few scarlet 

 feathers. 



This species has gained some ill-repute because of its 

 supposed habit of boring through the bark of trees in 

 order to get at the sap, and thus killing the trees. 

 However, I very much doubt if they do any appre- 

 ciable damage in this manner. I have watched a great 

 many of them in the Spring and Fall and have clearly 

 seen that they were feeding upon insects in the same 

 way as the Downy. 



Note. A loud whining whee, and other harsh calls 

 similar to the scream of a Blue Jay. 



Nest. In holes in trees, at heights from the ground 

 varying from eight to fifty feet. Late in May they lay 

 from four to seven white eggs (.85x.60). 



Range. U. S. east of the Rockies, breeding from 

 Virginia and Missouri to Hudson Bay, and wintering 

 in southern U. S. 



