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 Picidce. 



Yellow-bellied This is one of our most beautiful and 

 sapsucker interesting spring birds; it is one of the 



Sphyrapicus , , , . XT 



varius commonest woodpeckers of northern New 



L. 8.55 inches York and New England, arriving from the 

 April isth south about April loth, the autumn migra- 

 tion occurring between September 20th and November 1st, 

 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. 



