ee THE ALASKAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER. 
ininutes at a time, so that the ornithologist who is suspicious may follow 
the lead from a half mile’s distance. 
Nesting is chiefly at moderate heights—from two and a half to eight 
feet from the ground, Bendire says; so that there ought not to be any diffi- 
culty in studying this species once it is found. 
No. 170. 
ALASKAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER: 
A. O. U. No. 401 a. Picoides americanus fasciatus Baird. 
Synonym.—LADpDER-BACKED THREE-TrORD \WoOPPECKER. 
Description.—Adu/t male: Upperparts chiefly black, the back strongly 
barred with white, these bars more or less confluent centrally; flight-feathers 
marked with paired white spots, and wing-coverts sometimes more or less spotted 
with white; two central pairs of tail-feathers black, the next succeeding pair 
black mingled with white, and the remaining pairs pure white; a squarish yellow 
patch on crown; a distinct white post-ocular stripe extending to nape; a broad 
white stripe from lore to side of neck; underparts white, the sides and flanks 
heavily but narrowly barred with black. Bill and feet plumbeous black; iris 
brown. Adult female: Similar but without yellow crown patch; sometimes 
largely white on crown. Length of adult: 8.00-9.50 (203.2-241.3); wing 4.60 
(116.8) ; tail 3.60 (91.4) ; bill 1.20 (30.5). 
Recognition Marks.—Chewink to Robin size; lustrous black above with 
central white in broad bars; sides black-and-white barred. 
Nesting.—Nest: In hole at various heights. Eggs: usually 4, white. Av. 
size, .92x.70 (23.4x 17.8). Season: June; one brood. 
General Range.—Timbered mountains of northern Washington, British 
Columbia and Alaska. 
Range in Washington.—Sparingly resident in northern Cascades. 
Authorities.—Brewster, Auk, X. July, 1893, pp. 236, 237. 
Specimens.—Provy. C. 
THIS is a permanent resident of the Hudsonian zone on the Mt 
Baker range both north and south of the international boundary: also at 
lower elevations on Vancouver Island and on Salt Springs Island, Gulf 
of Georgia. Further in the interior it is of irregular distribution, being 
in some districts replaced by Picoides arcticus, and in others occupying the 
same localities as that species. I have no records for arcticus west of the 
Cascade range. At one time I was convinced that the Alaskan Three-toed 
Woodpecker occupied a higher breeding zone than the Black-backed species 
(arcticus), but had to modify this opinion on finding a pair of fasciatus 
