228 NOTES ON THE 



Mr. Washburn found that species -'exceedingly common, 

 both in Otter Tail and Mille Lacs," while this "was not very 

 common.'' Lumbermen in the uninhabited pineries become 

 greatly attached to this woodpecker on account of its habit of 

 following them in their work. Considerable numbers of them, 

 associated with Nuthatches and Titmice, visit their camps al- 

 most daily. They are occasionally seen in the most central 

 part of the city in March on sunny days. They were reported 

 fairly common at Lanesboro in the severest part of the winter. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Above black, with a white band down the back; two white 

 stripes on the side of the head; the lower of opposite sides 

 always separated, the upper sometimes confluent on the nape; 

 two stripes of black on the side of the head, the lower one not 

 running into the forehead; beneath white; wing much spotted 

 with white; the larger coverts with two series each; tertiaries 

 or inner secondaries, all banded with white; two outer tail 

 feathers white, with two bands of black at the end, third, 

 white at the tip and externally. Male with red terminating 

 the white-feathers on the nape; legs and feet bluish- green; 

 claws light-blue, tipped with black; iris dark hazel. 



Length, 6.25; wings, 3.75. 



Habitat, northern and eastern North America. 



PICOIDES ARCTIOUS (Swainson). (400.) 



ARCTIC THREE- TOED WOODPECKER. 



This is not a common Woodpecker in any part of the State, 

 but more nearly so in the Lake Superior, and northern pinery 

 regions than the middle and southern districts. An occasional 

 individual migrating somewhat southerly in winter, gets into 

 the hands of collectors as far south as Minneapolis, as they 

 are to be seen in the collections of the taxidermists in both St. 

 Paul and Minneapolis, and have been ever since 1 have resided 

 here. The only specimens which I have obtained have been 

 one sent from Duluth*, and another from the pineries, some- 

 what east of Mille Lacs. They were both adult males. It has 

 been said that this species exhibits a preference for swamps. 



* Prof. W. W. Cook wrote me that he shot a female of this species May 23, 1881, near 

 Detroit, in Becker county, which contained large, well developed ova. It was in a 

 clump of dead pines that were full of holes. 



Mr. Washhurn secured a specimen at Mille Lacs. I hear that the eggs of this bird 

 have been obtained recently in Mille Lacs, but have not seen them. Parties living in 

 the vicinity of Princeton seem to think it not a very rare bird in the sandy, pine 

 region, near that place, and that its habits in no way distinguish it from any other 

 Woodpeckers. The markings however do, so that there is little reason to doubt its 

 identy upon their description, I think. 



