140 



I'm: ooiAHi.sr 



•depth. The longest time taken bj^ a 

 pair in excavating their hole that has 

 ■oome under mv notice, was 12 days. 

 This was a nest 23 inches deep excav- 

 ated -in an oak tree. The shortest was 

 four days, this in a willow stiibb. 



The eggs are usually four in number, 

 sometimes five, and are laid on chips at 

 the V)ottom of the cavity. 



They measure from .90 to 1.05 in 

 length ami from .60 to .75 in breadth, 

 and are \mve ivory white in coloi- with 

 a roseate tinge when unblown. 



Downy Woodpecker, DrijobrUen pub- 

 eficeiis . 



Resident and tolerably common. This 

 is a more social species than the last 

 and is seen commonly about houses 

 toward the latter part of March. 



The nests of this species are begun 

 about May 15th aiul fresh sets may he 

 secured from then to June 10th. * 



The holes take from two to ten days 

 in excavating and are from eight to 

 fifteen inches deep and about two in- 

 ches in diameter at the opening. 



The holes are usually made in oak or 

 willow stubs. They breed abundantl}' 

 wp the Minnesota River in the dead wil- 

 lows along the banks. Eggs usually 

 five sometimes four and rarely six or 

 seven. Pinkish white when unblown, 

 Init fade to a dull white when blown. 



They measure fiom .70 to .85 in 

 length and .60 to .65 in breadth. 



Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Sphijrapi- 

 €us varius. 



Fairly common summer resident, ar- 

 riving the first week in April, and from 

 then until the first or second week in 

 May they may be commonly seen about 

 the maple trees in the cities, whicli are 

 punctured by them for the sap and 

 more commonly for the larvi\3 and 

 insects which lie under the bark. 



Towards the second week in May 

 they retire to the thick wootfs to breed, 

 where the}' excavate tiieir lioles in dead 

 trees, usually about twenty feet from 

 the ground but occasionally much 

 higher. 



The eggs are laid by the first week in 

 June, and are usuall.y four in number, 

 verj' rarely five. White like all other 

 Woodpecker's eggs, with roseate tinge 

 when i;nblown. Two sets measure as 

 follows: .BOx.GO, .82x.59, .Six. 62, .79x 

 .60 and .90x67, .88x.05, .88x.65, .87x.60. 



Plicated Woodpecker. Ceophlociis pil- 

 catus. 



Rare. This bird is rarely seen in tliis 

 locality (St. Paul), but, is common 

 farther north. 



One nest was found last June in Dak- 

 ota county, which contained three eggs, 

 well incubated. Average measure- 

 ment l.SOx.OS. 



Red-headed Woodpecker, Melanerpes 

 crijthrocephalus. 



Common svimmer resident. Arrives 

 about the first of April. The birds pre- 

 fer to nest in the vicinity of houses and 

 do not res J? t to the woods unless mol- 

 ested. These birds nest almost any- 

 where making their holes in fence po.sts, 

 dese»ted houses and even chimneys. 



The eggs are four to six in number 

 and measure on an average 1 00x80. 

 This species will continue to lay like 

 the Flicker, provided a nest ^igg is left. 

 Thej^ leave earl}' in October. 



Flicker, Yellow Hammer, etc., Colap- 

 tes auratiifs. 



Abundant summer resident, arriving 

 early in April and leaving late in Oc- 

 tober. 



These birds are very sociable but also 

 suspicious, and prefer to nest near 

 houses, hnt are not always i)ermitted 

 to do S(5 as they are often killed becau.se 

 thej^ bore into houses, commonly to get 

 out of reach of small boys. 



They are well known to lay a large 

 number of eggs when repeatedlj' robbed. 

 When not disturbed the average set 

 consists of seven eggs, often six and 

 sometimes eight or nine. Average- 

 measurements 1.10x.90s. 



Waltox Mitcheli-, 



St. Paul, Minn. 



