i 
THE SAPSUCKER. 245 
The outline cut will explain the difference between the 
tongues of the Hairy Woodpecker, figure 1, and that of the 
Yellow-bellied species, figure 2; the two birds being nearly of 
the same size, the tongues are represented as being thrust out 
to their full length. In vastly the majority of Yellow-bellied 
Woodpeckers the tongue is not capable of being extended 
more than from one-half to three-fourths of an inch beyond 
the beak; while in other species the tongue can be protuded 
from two to four inches. The stomach, or gizzard, is large and 
muscular. There are other anatomical peculiarities, all, how¬ 
ever, fitting it to procure and digest the bark on which it 
mostly lives. 
%/ 
Prof. Spencer F. Baird, of the Smithsonian Institute, has 
recently constructed the new genus Sphyrapicus , of which 
Picus varius is constituted the type; a wise disposition, 
doubtless, for in habit and voice, as w T ell as anatomically con¬ 
sidered, this species differs widely from all other of the so 
called spotted Woodpeckers. 
The Yellow-bellied Woodpecker is found throughout North 
America, east of the Rocky Mountains; north-west of the 
great lakes it is the most numerous species. They make their 
appearance at Racine, Wis., suddenly in large numbers after a 
warm night, about the 15th of April; for, like many other 
birds, Woodpeckers migrate only during the night. Then 
comes “ prime boy-time armed with bow and arrow, cross¬ 
bows, guns, pistols and stones, all sorts and sizes hurry to 
wage war against the “ Sapsuclcer and so eager is the pur¬ 
suit that it is sometimes difficult to determine which do the 
greater damage for the time, the boys or the birds. The Sap- 
