122 Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



*402. Sphtrapicus varius (Linn.). Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. 



Picus varius. Yellow-bellied Woodpecker. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern North America, breeding regularly from 

 Massachusetts, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Manitoba, 

 northward in wooded regions to lat. 61° ; south in the Alleghanies 

 to North Carolina and irregularly to Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Mis- 

 souri. Winters from about lat. 40° southward to the West 

 Indies, Mexico and Costa Rica. 



The Sapsucker is best known in Missouri as a spring migrant. 

 During a few favorable nights in early April a whole army, 

 northbound, invades the state and takes possession of it for a 

 few days; every clump of trees, even shade trees and telephone 

 posts in towns, are infested with them, but if nothing unseason- 

 able happens in the execution of the weather program, the mass 

 disappears as mysteriously as it came. As a winter resident the 

 species is scattered singly or in small troops throughout southern 

 Missouri from the Missouri River bottom southward, but more 

 plentifully in the primeval forests of the southeast. They are 

 mostly birds in juvenile dress and not much is seen of them at 

 this season, even when in our own gardens, drilling holes in 

 pines and sugar maples, because they know how to keep on the 

 other side of the tree and rather try to evade us by remaining 

 quietly where they know they are not seen than by flight. 

 When detected they seek safety by flying to a distant tree, be- 

 hind which they again hide. Besides pine and maple, there are 

 quite a variety of trees which they like to tap for their sap in 

 early spring, among them apple, hickory, linden, poplar, birch, 

 etc., and though it spoils the appearance of some trees, especially 

 the pine by resin running down their sides, it does not weaken 

 the tree visibly, nor does it detract from its productiveness. In 

 very cold weather they look rather disconsolate and apparently 

 suffer privation; if it lasts long, they disappear, probably go 

 farther south or die. During the latter part of February there 

 is usually a decided relaxation of the rigor of winter and, though 

 no signs of spring may be visible for a whole month, some birds 

 feel an impulse to move in the direction of their summer home, 

 among them some Sapsuckers, appearing in March in localities 

 where they had not wintered. Real migration sets in only 

 during the last week of that month, and, if the weather is not 

 favorable, postponements are in order till early April. After a 

 few days of preliminary action by the vanguard, the bulk, as 

 mentioned above, appears. This general advancement is in 



