402. Sphyrapicus varius. 8 1/2 inches.

Male with a scarlet crown and throat; female with a scarlet crown and white throat; young with the head and neck mottled gray and white, with a few scarlet feathers.

This species has gained some ill-repute because of its supposed habit of boring through the bark of trees in order to get at the sap, and thus killing the trees. However, I very much doubt if they do any appreciable damage in this manner. I have watched a great many of them in the spring and fall and have clearly seen that they were feeding upon insects in the same way as the Downy.

Note. - A loud whining "whee," and other harsh calls similar to the scream of a Blue Jay.

Nest. - In holes in trees, at heights from the ground varying from eight to fifty feet. Late in May they lay from four to seven white eggs (.85 x .60).

Range. - U. S. east of the Rockies, breeding from Virginia and Missouri to Hudson Bay, and wintering in southern U. S.