as the name implies, only three toes, while all 

 of our other woodpeckers have four — two in 

 front and two behind. The male of these two 

 species has a square yellow patch on the top of 

 the head. The back in the present bird is clear 

 black, while in the next it is barred with black 

 and white, from which it is sometimes called the 

 "Ladder-back." Where common they are very 

 valuable aids in protecting timber against the 

 ravages of the borers. 



21. AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOOD- 

 PECKER (Picoides americanus americanus). 

 Found chiefly in the northern part of the state 

 and there by no means commonlj'. It has been 

 seen once — Nov. 26, 1915 — at Cambridge. Isanti 

 county, by Lawrence Lofstrom. The writer dis- 

 covered a nest containing young at Lake Itasca 

 in June, 1901. The Survey has but little informa- 

 tion in regard to this species in Minnesota. 



EL.\CKi;.\LKED THREE-TOKD WOODPECKER 

 Itasca Park 



Photograph from life. Roberts 



*22. PILEATED WOODPECKER: LOG 

 COCK (Phloeotomus pileatus pileatus). This, 

 the largest of our Woodpeckers, still occurs spar- 

 ingly in the heavilj'-timbered areas of the state. 

 It was formerly common, but its numbers have 

 been greatly reduced, partly through the clearing 

 away of the big timber, but chiefly through the 

 propensity of the average man with a gun to kill 

 every large and curious bird that he encounters. 

 Its disappearance is to be deplored, for it is a 

 most valuable agent in the preservation of large 

 timber. 



*23. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER (Cen- 

 turus carolinus). A southern species that oc- 

 curs in small numbers in southeastern Minne- 

 sota, where it is a permanent resident. Individ- 

 uals occasionally wander as far north as Meeker 

 county (H. J. Jager^ and it has several times 



been seen in the vicinity of Minneapolis, but is 

 chiefly confined to an area marked by Rochester 

 on the west (Mrs. W. C. MacCarty) and Red 

 Wing on the north (Miss Mabel Densmore). 

 The male has the whole top of the head and the 

 nape a bright scarlet and the entire back is band- 

 ed crosswise by numerous bars of black and 

 white which is quite unlike any of the other 

 winter woodpeckers. 



*24. BLUE JAY (Cyanocitta cristata cris- 

 tata). Common all winter but in early spring 

 their numbers are greatly augmented by the re- 

 turn of birds that must have wintered further 

 south. They will eat almost anything during 

 the cold season, not scorning even kitchen scraps, 

 which they boldly appropriate from the refuse 

 heaps. They are usually seen in little companies 

 of several individuals hunting together, and their 

 screams and calls are often the onlj' loud bird 

 notes that disturb the frozen silence of the de- 

 serted winter woodland. 



25. CANADA JAY (Perisoreus canadensis 

 canadensis). Also called bj' the familiar appella- 

 tions, Moose-bird, Camp-robber, Whiskey-jack, 

 \\'hiskey-john, etc. A common and familiar bird 

 in the evergreen forests of the northern half of 

 the state. It boldly forages about camps and 

 dwellings and often annoys hunters by following 

 them, uttering its loud and disturbing cries of 

 which it has an extensive and varied repertory. 

 Lawrence Lofstrom reports this bird from Cam- 

 bridge, Isanti countj', which is much farther 

 south than any previous record for the state. 

 Tlie Canada Jay builds its large and warmly lined 

 nest in the deepest recesses of spruce and arbor 

 vitae swamps in the latter part of February, while 

 the snow is still deep on the ground and the 

 weather bitter cold. 



26. NORTHERN RAVEN (Corvus corax 

 principalis). An inhabitant of the northern part 

 of the state, occasionally w-andering into the 

 southern counties. Not common. Often hangs 

 about lumber and other camps looking for food. 

 In October and November, 1876, a number of 

 Ravens appeared in the vicinity of Minneapolis 

 and a specimen secured at the time by the writer 

 is in the Survey collection. The Raven is much 

 larger than the Crow, 22 to 26 inches as compared 

 with 20, and the feathers of the neck are long and 

 pointed in a peculiar manner. 



*27. ENGLISH SPARROW (Passer domes- 

 ticus domesticus). This undesirable alien is now 

 abundant throughout the state and has every- 

 where spread from the towns to the country. It 

 made its first appearance in Minneapolis in the 

 fall of 1876, but had previously been purposely 

 introduced elsewhere in the state. The replacing 

 of horses with automobiles mav result in the 



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