222 BIRDS 



not infrequently placed under a limb for protection from the 

 weather, generally runs in straight through the solid wood 

 for about three inches, then downward from ten to eighteen 

 inches, and some of the finer chips are allowed to remain on 

 the bottom of the cavity, in which the eggs are deposited. 

 Both dead and living trees, are selected for nesting sites, 

 generally the former. 



DOWNY WOODPECKER 



The Downy Woodpecker is often mistaken for the hairy 

 woodpecker, from which it differs only in size and minor 

 markings. 



It ranges throughout eastern North America from 

 Labrador to Florida. A rugged httle climber, it is resi- 

 dent the year round wherever found. There are several 

 forms of this specie*^ the Southern dowTiy, Gairdner's, 

 Batchelder's downy, willow, and Nelson's downy wood- 

 pecker. It is like splitting hairs to distinguish one from 

 the other, except that they are usually classed according to 

 their locality or range. Practically every section of the 

 United States and Canada contains one of the above forms. 



Sociable little birds, during cold, wintry days they often 

 visit the dooryards in company with chickadees and white- 

 breasted nuthatches. Many observ^ers attract these birds to 

 their window-sills by tempting them with suet. They should 

 be attracted to orchards by feeding them suet, etc., so as to 

 have the benefit of their search for insects and their eggs 

 and larvae. This bird is highly beneficial to the interest of 

 horticulture. Prof. Beal, of the Biological Surv^ey, United 



