262 <;LKAM\(;S ntoM ^^TunE. 



the larger or "hairy" being more than two inches 

 longer than the "downy;" the average length of the 

 former being nine inches from tip of bill to end of 

 tail, while that of the latter is but six and a half 

 inches. Only when we have them in hand do we de- 

 tect any other difference than that of size. Then, by 

 spreading out the tail, we find its outer feathers to be 

 pure white in the "hairy," while in the " downy" they 

 are cross-barred with black near the tip. 



These birds were both first described by Linnreus, 

 who gave to the larger one the name of Picus riilosus 

 and to the smaller one that of Picus pubescens. The 

 word "Picus" means "woodpecker," while villosus and 

 pubescens both mean "downy" or "covered with very 

 fine soft hairs." Later writers have divided np the 

 genus Picus and have assigned certain of its members 

 to other genera. Among these are the two species 

 now in hand which, with a few others not occurring 

 in Indiana, are placed in the genus Dryobates, which 

 means "oak walker." The common names "hairy" 

 and "downy," have evidently been derived from the 

 specific names, and signify no difference whatever in 

 the character of the plumage of the two birds. 



The hairy woodpecker, Dryobates villosus (L.), has 



many local names in different parts of the country, 



chief among which are the "Virginia 



Woodpiker. woodpecker," "big sapsucker," "big- 



spotted woodpecker," and "big guinea 



woodpecker," the adjective "big" being prefixed 'to 



distinguish him from his smaller cousin which in color 



he so closely resembles. 



He is less sociable than the "downy," frequenting 



