BIRDS OF KANSAS. 331 



insect life. They are also known to feed upon the live, soft 

 inner bark of trees, often injuring the tree by chipping out here 

 and there patches of the bark, and for this reason are called 

 1 ' Sapsuckers. ' ' 



Their nests are excavated in dead or decaying trees, from fif- 

 teen to sixty feet from the ground. Eggs four to seven. A 

 set of four, taken at Pewaukee, Wisconsin, from a hole exca- 

 vated in an ash tree, measure: . 88x. 69, . 88x. 66, . 86x. 66, .85 

 x. 65. This nest was about fifteen inches below the entrance, 

 and twenty feet from the ground. Another set of four eggs, 

 taken May 30th, 1886, near Bayfield, Wisconsin, from a nest 

 in a green poplar tree, thirty feet fr.om the ground, measure: 

 .89x.68, .90x.69, .90x.70, .92x.68; pure glossy white; in 

 form, oblong to subspherical. 



Sphyrapicus varius nuchalis BAIKD. 



RED-NAPED SAPSUCKEB. 

 PLATE XXII. 



In the western part of the State, migratory; rare. I have 

 met with the birds but twice in the State, each time on the south 

 fork of the Smoky Hill River, near Wallace. 



B. 86. R. 369. C. 447. G. , 155. U. 402<z. 



HABITAT. Rocky Mountain regions of the United States; 

 south into the mountains of Mexico. 



SP. CHAR. "Markings generally as in S. varius. A red nuchal crescent. 

 Belly yellowish white. The red of the throat extending over and obliterating 

 the black stripe from the lower mandible, except on the side of the jaw. Post- 

 ocular black patch tinged with red. Secondaries with little or no white on outer 

 webs. Tail feathers black (scarcely varied), the innermost with inner web (as 

 in varius). Female similar, but with the chin white; the throat red, bordered (as 

 in the male) by a black stripe from the bill to the black pectoral patch." 



Stretch of 

 Length. wing. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 8.50 15.40 4.95 3.30 .80 .90 



Female... 8.30 15.00 4.75 3.20 .80 .90 



Iris brown; bill and claws slate black; legs and feet pale 

 greenish olive. 



This Western variety of the Yellow-bellied is very similar in 

 its habits and actions. They are to be looked for during the 

 summer months in the high, mountainous regions. The aspen 



