288 



BIRDS 



into trees. These birds drill holes into the trees, impale 

 the lar\-ie on the long Ijarbed tongues, draw them out, and 

 devour them. The yellow-bellied sapsucker is a wood- 

 pecker that is very 

 tond of the sap of 

 torest and fruit trees. 

 \rid, although it 

 1 levours many in- 

 jects, it undoubtedly 

 ( lamages trees by 

 boring rows of holes 

 through the soft bark 

 to obtain the sap. 



Whippoorwills, 

 swifts , and humming 

 birds. — This group 

 of birds contains 

 forms that differ 

 so much from each 

 other in appear- 

 ances that their close 

 relationship would 

 scarcely be recog- 

 nized. Their wings 

 are long and pointed 

 and, in genei'al, they are swift fl>-ers. With the exception 

 of the hunmiing birtls, they hve upon insects caught while 

 the birds are in full flight. The whipjioorwill is common in 

 the eastern United 8ta,tes and is known by its peculiar call. 

 In the daytime it leiiiains silent and hidden in dark, deep 

 recesses of I he woods, coming forth only at night to 

 chase insects. 



Fig. 194. — Nch;t of a. ruby-diroatfd hummina 

 bird. 



