78 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Richardson, it is found in all the forests of spruce fir lying between Lake 

 Superior and the Arctic Sea, and is the most common Woodpecker north of 

 Great Slave Lake. Its food, like that of the preceding species, consists ])rin- 

 cipally of wood-boring insects and their larva;, found in dead and decaying 

 timber. 



Mr. Manly Hardy informs me that the American Three-toed Woodpecker 

 is rather rare in Maine, and he has no positive proof that it breeds there. 



Dr. C. Hart Merriam was, I beHeve, the first naturalist who took the eggs " 

 of this species within the limits of the United States, and lie published the 

 following account in the "Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club" (Vol. 

 in, L87S, p. 200): 



"June 4, 187S. — Shortly after crossing Moose River this morning, en route 

 for the Fulton chain of lakes, Mr. C. L. Bagg and I were so fortunate as to 

 secure a set of the eggs, with both parent birds, of Picoides amerkanus (old 

 hirsutus). We had just crossed the boundary line between Lewis and Herkimer 

 comities, when Mr. Bagg called my attention to a 'fresh hole,' about 8 feet from 

 the ground, in a spruce tree near by. On approaching the tree a yellow crown 

 appeared in the hole, showing that the male l)ird was 'at home.' To pre\ent 

 his escape I jumped toward the tree and introduced three fingers, which Avere 

 immediately punctured in a manner so distasteful to their proprietor as to neces- 

 sitate an immediate withdrawal and exehang'e.for the muzzle of my friend's o-un. 

 A handkerchief was next crowded into the hole, l)ut was instantly riddled and 

 driven out by a few blows from his terrible bill. It was then held loosely over 

 the hole, and as the bird emerged I secvired and killed him. Througli the 

 kindness of a friend, my pocket contained one of those happy combinations of 

 knives, saws, and button hooks — a sort of tool chest in miniature — which one 

 sometimes sees in the shop windows and is apt to regard with awe rather than 

 adnuration, but which constitutes, nevertheless, one of the most useful articles 

 in a naturalist's outfit. With this instiiiment we were enabled to saAV a block 

 from the face of the nest, and to secure, uninjured, the four nearly fresh eggs 

 which it contained. While wrapping up the eggs the female returned, and, as 

 she alighted on the side of the tree, was killed by Mr. Bagg. The orifice of the 

 hole was about 8 feet high and li inches in diameter, and the cavity was about 

 10 inches deep. * * * So far as I am aware, this rare Woodpecker is only 

 found along tlie eastern Ijorder of Lewis County, in the Adirondack region, 

 Avhere it is a resident species, and even here it is much less common than its 

 congener, the Black-backed Woodjiecker." 



Dr. Merriam also informs me that "numerous nests were found in tlie 

 Adirondacks in June, 1883. Most of them were in the flooded timber bordering 

 the inlet of Seventh Lake, Fulton Chain. The}' varied from 5 to 12 feet in 

 height above the water, and were in spruce, tamarack, ])ine, balsam, and cedar 

 trees. A set of four fresh eggs was taken June 8. The feathers were worn off 

 the bellies of both male and female before the nests were completed." He also 

 took another set of four eggs of this species, one of them a runt, on June 8, 



