Length nearly ten inches.

A very large mouth, fringed with long bristles, useful as an insect trap.

Plumage all mottled with gray, buff, and black, but the end half of three outside tail-feathers white, and a white breast-band.

A Summer Citizen of the United States and Canada east of the plains; in winter from Florida southward.

A member of the guilds of Sky Sweepers and Ground Gleaners.

CHAPTER XXIII

A LAUGHING FAMILY

When the children had their uncle with them, and could listen to his stories, it seemed very easy to name the birds.  But when they were alone it was quite a different matter.  The birds had a way of moving on, at exactly the wrong moment.  Of course they made some very funny mistakes, and at times grew quite discouraged.

“I thought we could learn a hundred birds in no time,” said Nat to Olive, one morning; “but I’m only pop sure of ten when they fly in a hurry, and about ten more when they sit still and let me take a good look at them.”

“I think that is doing very well, indeed, for watching live birds is not a bit like learning rules and figures by heart.  Though your tables give you some facts about birds’ colors and habits, every bird has some little ways and tricks of his very own that are always a surprise; and then, you see, a bird in the hand looks very different from a bird in the bush!”

“I suppose that is why uncle wants us to go out to see for ourselves, instead of telling us stories every day.  This morning, when I was over in the miller’s woods, where we heard the Whip-poor-will, I saw the queerest bird, running up a tree; he let me come close to, without being frightened.

[Illustration:  Downy Woodpecker.]

“At first I thought he was a Black-and-white Creeper, for he was all black and white.  Then I saw he was much bigger, and the beak was square at the end, as if it was cut off instead of being sharp-pointed.  He had the strangest feet, two toes behind and two in front, and when he came down near where I stood, I saw a bright-red spot on the head.  When I went a step nearer, he didn’t like it, and then laughed out loud at me—­’Quip!  Cher, cher, cher, cher!  Ha! ha! ha! ha!’ I thought he might be some kind of a Woodpecker, but those in uncle’s room are a great deal bigger.”

“A very good description of the Downy Woodpecker,” said the Doctor, coming up under the porch where they were sitting.  “This bird belongs not only to a different family from any you have heard about, but to a different order also.