t of
perching in a vertical position on the trunks of trees with the tips of
their tails pressed against the bark. While in this position, they tap
upon the tree with their sharp, pointed beaks.

THE DOWNY WOODPECKER

Learn to recognize the smallest of our woodpeckers, the Downy. Winter or
summer it may be found among the apple trees and shade trees, a tiny
black and white bird little bigger than a wren.

OBSERVATIONS

I

Why is "checkerboard" a good name for this bird?

Are there any distinct lines of white?

Are there any patches of red?

Do its movements reveal energy or listlessness?

How does it move up a tree trunk?

How does it move down a tree trunk?

Find out how it can hold so firmly to the trunk.

Does it use its sharp beak as a drill or as a pick?

_To the teacher._--The downy is spotted black and white, with barred
wings and a white line down the centre of the back. A bright scarlet
crown is the colour distinction of the male. This little bird is the
embodiment of energy and perseverance. It hops nimbly up the trunk,
tapping here and there with its beak, and then listening for the
movements of the disturbed wood-borers. If it wishes to descend, it
wastes no time in turning around, but hops backward down the trunk, or
jumps off and flies down.

II

Examine an apple tree upon which a downy has been at work and find out
what it was doing there.

Do you find the birds in pairs during winter? During summer? Distinguish
the male from the female.

Tie a beef bone with scraps of meat adhering to it to a tree. What birds
come to it?

Find the nest of the downy and describe the nest and the eggs.

Do the holes made by the downy injure the trees?

Why should the downy be welcomed in our orchards?

Describe the sounds made by the birds.

_To the teacher._--Discuss the pupils' answers to the above problems in
the class lesson, using a picture of a woodpecker to illustrate the
features of the bird that adapt it for its habits. Examples: the
straight, sharp beak suited for drilling; the two backward, projecting
toes for perching; the spines on the tips of the tail feathers to act as
a prop.

The downy woodpecker is very useful in the orchard, because it destroys
great numbers of larvae of the tussock-moth and other insects. The holes
made in the bark have never been found to injure the trees. The nest is
made in a hollow tree, the entrance to it being almost perfectly round
and about one a