112 LITTLE FOLKS 
headed one, but he has cousins as interesting as himself. There's 
the Downy Woodpecker, who is slandered by the name of Sap 
Sucker, from a ridiculous notion that he taps holes in trees to suck 
the sap ! Why, he don't care a snap for all the sap in the orchard ; 
what he wants is caterpillars. The truth is, he is a very cunning 
trapper, and he sets his traps in this droll way. He selects a 
healthy tree, and picks a neat row of holes around the trunk. 
They are about a quarter of an inch in diameter, and half an inch 
apart. 
He then leaves it, and the insects of the neighborhood who 
are always looking for just such cozy hiding places, come and lay 
their eggs there, and even sometimes spin cocoons in them. After 
a while, Mr. Downy Woodpecker comes back, and finds a fine feast 
all spread for him. 
So instead of hurting the farmers' trees, the industrious little 
fellow is really destroying insects for them. And all the thanks he 
gets is the ugly name of Sap Sucker, and the ill will of all ignorant 
farmers. 
Another of the family, the Golden Winged Woodpecker, is 
quite as interesting. He destroys great quantities of ants. He 
will sit down by the ant nest, and eat every unfortunate creature 
that comes out, till he has devoured the whole colony. He is just 
as faithful in destroying the boring insects, that do so much harm 
to fruit trees. He will tap the bark all around till he hits the right 
place, then throw his head back and drive his sharp pickaxe 
through the bark and snatch up the troublesome little fellows 
inside. 
This pretty little bird has quite a time selecting his mate, or 
rather making himself so agreeable as to be selected by his lady 
love. Some naturalist has watched them, and he says that several 
of the Woodpeckers will surround one demure little lady. They 
will spread their tails, bow their heads, move around sideways, 
backwards and forwards, each one showing off his best to please 
her, in a very droll way. By-and-by she will signify which of her 
admirers she prefers, when all the rest will leave in the most polite 
way, making no trouble about it. After the nest is made, and the 
pretty little mother is sitting, he will come and alight on the tree 
near her, and say something that sounds like " flicker, flicker." 
Then she will shake herself out, and go off for a little rest, while he 
takes her place on the eggs. The enemy of this family is an owl. 
