1908.] BIRDS. 383 



on September 18, L9, 20, and 27. While ascending the Mackenzie I 

 saw one near the mouth of the Blackwater, October 6. At Fort 

 Simpson I collected a number during the latter part of October. 

 November, and the early part of December, noting the species last 

 on December 5. 



In 1004 I failed to observe this bird at Fort Simpson during Jan- 

 uary, February, and March, and first noted it April 1, when I found 

 three individuals in a tract of burnt woods and heard their spring 

 drumming. It was a continuous tattoo, somewhat resembling that of 

 Dri/obates, but becoming very faint at the end. A male and a female 

 were collected. Another individual was seen April G. I failed to 

 observe any during my trip down the Mackenzie, but saw one at 

 Grand Rapid on August 23. during my return trip. J. W. Mills 

 took a male at Fort Simpson, March 18, 1 005. 



Richardson, under the name Picus tridactylus, first recorded this 

 species from the region, describing a male killed near the sources of 

 the Athabaska." Ross listed it as Picoides hirsutus, stating that it 

 was found in the Mackenzie River district north to Fort Good Hope, 

 that it wintered in the region, and that it had been collected at Fori 

 Simpson. h MacFarlane found it near Fort Anderson, where he dis- 

 covered nests on June 5 and 21, 1864. c The bird catalogue of the 

 National Museum records specimens from Fort Chipewyan, Fort 

 Resolution, Fort Rae, Big Island, Fort Simpson, Fort Liard, Fort 

 TIalkett, Fort Good Hope, and Fort Anderson. The following are 

 still in that collection: Two from Fort Liard, March, and February 

 23, 1860, A. McKenzie; two from Fort Anderson, one June 3, 1864, 

 the other not dated, but probably taken at the same time; two from 

 Fort Liard without exact dates; and two from Fort Simpson, one 

 taken December 12 [1850], by Kennicott, and the other (the type of 

 /'. a. fasciatus) September 2, 1861, by Ross. Most of these specimens. 

 as well as one from Red Deer, Alberta, have been recorded by Bangs.'' 

 Ilargitt records a specimen from Great Bear Lake.'' 



During his trips to the Rocky Mountains in western Alberta in 

 1895 and 1806, J. Alden Loring found this woodpecker fairly common 

 and collected a number of specimens. In 1805 he took one at Henry 

 House October 4. In 1806 he took a pair 15 miles south of Henry 

 House on July 13. Their nest was in a dry spruce 4 feet from the 

 ground, on a mountain, about 500 feet below timber line. Other speci- 

 mens were taken on Stony River, a short distance north of Jasper 

 House, August 25: in Grand Cache valley. Smoky River, about 120 



a Fauna Boreali-Americana, II. \>. 312, 1831. 

 ''Nat. Hist. Rev., II (second ser.), \>. -211. L862. 

 cproc. U. S. Nat. Miis.. XIV, p. 138, 1891. 

 ''Auk. XVI i. p. 132, 1900. 

 ■ cat. Birds Brit. Mus., XVIII, p. 281, 1890. 



