riClD.H — THE WOODPKCKlOItS. 53 j 



II.UUTS. Tlii:5 spwios lias u wi'll-iU'tiiictl iiiul (.'Xlciuloil ilistiil)iili(iii, rnuu 

 tho Paeilii'. to Uk) Alliintic, iiiul I'l'Dm tlic iiurilu'in iiditioiis of tin' riiitcLl 

 Slates to tlici cxtiviiit) Arctic rcninns. In tin; I'liiU'd Slates it lias liccii ruiiiul 

 in far south as Massachiisclts, New Vovk, ami ( Hiio, Im! rarely : and, so far as 

 [ am aware, it is a winter visitant only to any hut tlu! I'slieiiic norliicrii |iiir- 

 lions of tlio Fiiioii, c.\ce|it aloiij;' tlie line of tlie itoiky Mountains and the 

 Sierra Xevada. Atuluiion says it occurs in Northern Massacliuselts, and in 

 all portions of Maine that are covered hy forests of tall trees, where it con- 

 stantly resides. He saw a few in the (Jroat I'inc Forest of I'enii>ylvania, 

 anil Dr. Uachnian iioticeil several in tlie nei^iihoihood of \ia,i;ara Falls, 

 and was of the ojiinion that it breeds in the northern jiart of New York. 

 The .same writer dcscrilios tho nesting-place of the Arctic Woodpecker as 

 generally bored in the body of a sound tree, near its lirst large liranchos. 

 lie olj.served no particular choice as to the timber, having seen it in oaks, 

 pines, etc. 'i'lu^ nest, like tiiat of most of this family, is worked out by both 

 sexes, and rcjiiires fully a week for its ciuuiiK'tion. Its usual (lc|itli is 

 from twenty to twenly-fmir inches, it is smooth ami broad at the bottiun, 

 although so narrow at its I'litraiicc as ti) ajipoar scarcely suilicieiit to enable 

 one of the liirds to enter it. The eggs are from four to si.x, rather rounded 

 and pun; white. Only one brood is raised in the season. The young follow 

 their jiartMits until tiie antumii. In the southern districts wiiere these 

 Woodpeckers are found, their numbers are greatly increased in the winter 

 by accessions from the North. 



Dr. Cooper found this species (piite numerous, in Septt'iulier, in the vicinity 

 of Lake Tahoe and the suinmits of the Sierra Nevada, abo\e an altitude of 

 six thousand I'eet. From tlu'iice this liird has a uorlheni range chii'lly on 

 the east side of these nionutaius and of the Cascade llange. None were 

 seen near the Lower Columbia. At the lake they were ;[uilc fearless, com- 

 ing idose to the hotel, and industricaisly rapping the trees in tlH'e\cning and 

 in the early morning. Farther north Dr. Cooper found them very wild, 

 owing probably to their having been hunted by the Indians for their skins, 

 which tiiey consider very Viiluable. He noticed their burrows in low pine- 

 trees near the lake, where he had no doubt they also raise tiieir young. Dr. 

 Cooper has always buind them very silent birds, though in the spring they 

 probably have! more variety of calls. The only note he heard was a shrill, 

 harsh, rattling cry, (piitc distinct from that of any other Woodpecker. 



The ilight of this Wood]pe(d<er is described as ra]iid, gliding, and grt'atly 

 uiiilulatcd. Occasionally it will lly to (jiiite a distance beiore it alights, 

 uttering, from time to time, a loud shrill note. 



I'rofessor Verrill .says this bird is veiy common in Western Maiiu', in 

 the spring, fall, and winter, or from the middle of October to the middle or 

 end of March. It is not known to occur there in the sumiiier. Ni ar Calais 

 a IV'W are seen, and it is supposed to breed, b\it is not coumiou. in Massa- 

 chusetts it is only a rare and accidental visitant, oci.iiiiiiig usually late in 



