220 The Downy Woodpecker | 
the year, and felt secure in his love-affairs; but I soon found that he i 
was happy about something else also. He had discovered just the place | 
for a nest — at least he appeared to think so — and seemed bent on con- ; 
vincing his ladylove of the fact. Twenty feet in the air, on the under ; 
side of a dead limb of a very old and highly esteemed cherry-tree, was a 
last year’s Downy Woodpecker’s nest. To this the little singer went I 
repeatedly. He would go in, come to the door and look out, disappear, 
and then look out again. Of all the places in the neighborhood this, ; 
indeed, was the ideal spot for the nest — at least, I believe that was his - 
view of the situation. It is no small matter for a bird to find a safe 
nest for its eggs and young; and where can a little 
^Firs? mother hide her eggs more securely from the pilfering 
Blue Jay, or the inquisitive Red-headed Woodpecker, 
than by placing them deep down in the beautifully secure cavity dug by | 
the strong bill of a Downy Woodpecker? | 
THE HAIRY WOODPECKER ! 
Another black-and-white woodpecker very closely resembles the | 
Downy, except that it is a little larger. This bird the books call the ' 
Hairy Woodpecker. It is quite true that it differs slightly in appear- 
ance from its smaller relative; for example, the outer tail-feathers are 
white with no marks on them, while the feathers in the Downy’s tail 
are adorned with black spots. On the whole, however, the similarity 
is very striking. It is usually found in the woods, and is not so much 
inclined to come about the house as is our friendly, trusting, little Downy, 
which we all love so much. 
Classification and Distribution 
The Downy Woodpecker belongs to the Order Pici, Family PicidcB, and Genus 
Dryobates. Its scientific name is Dryobates pubescens. It is resident in all the 
wooded parts of the United States and Canada, but most of the individuals move 
somewhat southward in winter from the northern border of the specific range. 
The Hairy Woodpecker belongs to the same genus, and is named Dryobates villosus. 
It has a similar distribution to that of the Downy, but is rather more numerous 
and hardy in the North. Each of these widely distributed species includes several 
geographical subspecies. 
Chisel-likb Beak and Barbed Tongue of the Downy Woodpecker 
(Both much enlarged) 
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