^°'i9i6 ] MousLET, Birds of Hatley, Que. 69 



has caught theh eye. In the fall they return again but strange to say 

 never accompanied by any of their brood. 



34. Dryobates villosus leucomelas (Boddsert). Northern Hairy 

 Woodpecker. — Fairly common resident. Eggs: May 28. With the 

 exception of the Pileated this is the rarest of the woodpeckers, being 

 somewhat uncommon at all times, and only nesting so far as my experience 

 goes in woodlands. As a rule the nest hole is somewhat high up but on 

 one occasion I found one which was only thi-ee feet above the ground in a 

 birch stub, containing four eggs, the entrance hole being two inches in 

 diameter, extreme depth eleven inches and average width two and three 

 quarters inches. 



35. Dryobates pubescens medianus (Swainson). Northern 

 Downy Woodpecker. — Common resident. Eggs: May 22 to June 9. 

 This little Woodpecker is certainly more plentiful dm-ing the spring, fall 

 and winter than it is in the breeding season, although it is more abundant 

 than the Hairy at all times. I have not yet found it nesting in any of the 

 orchards, the favom-ite site in this district being the decayed limb of a maple 

 or birch tree in the woods or on the roadside, at almost any height above the 

 groimd. The average dimensions of three nesting holes examined are as 

 follows, viz.: entrance hole Ij inch diameter, extreme depth 8 inches, and 

 width 2f inches. 



36. Spyrapicus varius varius (Linnaeus). Yellow-bellied Sap- 

 sucker. — Common summer visitant; April 19 to Oct. 8. Average date of 

 arrival (for four years) April 22; of departure (for four years) Sept. 22. Eggs: 

 May 18 to 20. During the spring and fall migrations this is certainly the 

 most abundant woodpecker of all, and in the breeding season is not far be- 

 hind the Flicker for first place. Like the latter bird it often nests year after 

 year in the same tree (but not necessarily in the same hole) the favourite 

 ones here being ehn, poplar and butternut. In April it is particularly fond 

 of drumming on the buckets hung on the maple trees to catch the sap. Of 

 two nests examined the average dimensions are as follows, viz.: entrance 

 hole If inches in diameter, extreme depth lOf inches, and width 2| inches. 



37. Phlceotomus pileatus abieticola (Bangs). Northern Pile- 

 ated Woodpecker. — • Fairly common resident. This large and handsome 

 Woodpecker is by no means very plentiful, and covering a large area of 

 ground in its daily round in search of food it is more or less by accident that 

 one comes across it. During the breeding season it frequents the larger 

 and deeper woods and as yet I have not been able to locate a nest. From 

 my notes I find thirty-four have been observed in the past five years, and 

 on one occasion a party of five were together, a sight not easily forgotten. 

 Of the above number, fourteen, or nearly one half, were observed during 

 the months of March, April and May, the balance occurring in the fall 

 and winter. 



38. Colaptes auratus luteus (Bangs). Northern Flicker.^ 

 Common summer visitant; April 19 to Oct. 12. Average date of arrival (for 

 five years) April 21; of departure (for four years) Sept. 28. Eggs: May 18 



