2°96 NOTES ON THE 
Reports of their presence, come from every portion of the 
wooded sections of the State heard from, which I have not per- 
sonally visited. Dr. Hvoslef at Lanesboro, Prof. Herrick at 
Lake Shetak, Rev. Mr. Laurie at Duluth, Mr. Washburn at 
Mille Lacs, and in Otter Tail County, where he says; ‘‘Exceed- 
ingly common, and permanent residents.’ He further states 
that he ‘‘found it at Georgetown, Ada, and at St. Vincent.” 
SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
Wilsons’ specific description of this common species is the 
only one I have ever seen, and I but follow an almost uniform 
example in giving it as follows:—‘‘The Hairy Woodpecker is 
nine inches long, and fifteen in extent; crown black; line over 
and under the eye white; the eye is placed in a black line that 
widens as it descends to the back; hind head scarlet, some- 
times intermixed with black; nostrils hid under remarkably 
thick, bushy, recumbent hairs, or bristles; under the bill are 
certain long hairs thrown forward and upward; bill bluish 
horn color, grooved, wedged at the end, straight and about 
an inch and a quarter long; touches of black proceeding from 
the lower mandible, end in a broad black stripe that joins the 
black on the shoulder; back black, divided by a broad, lateral 
stripe of white, the feathers composing which, are loose and 
unwebbed, resembling hairs, whence its name; rump and 
shoulders black; wings black tipped and spotted with white, 
three rows of spots being visible on the secondaries, and five 
on the primaries; greater wing coverts also spotted with white; 
tail as in the others, cuneiform, consisting of ten strong shaf- 
ted and pointed feathers, the four middle ones black, the next 
partially white, the two exterior ones white, tinged at the tip 
with a brownish, burnt color; tail coverts black; whole lower 
side pure white; legs, feet and claws, light blue, the latter 
remarkably large and strong; inside of mouth, flesh colored; 
tongue pointed, beset with barbs and capable of being pro- 
truded more than an inch and a half; the oshyodes in this 
species, passes on each side of the neck, ascends the skull, 
passes down toward the nostril, and is wound round the bone 
of the right eye, which projects considerably more than the 
left, for its accomodation. The great mass of hairs that cover 
the nostril, appears to be designed as a projection to the front 
of the head, when the bird is engaged in digging holes into 
the wood.’’ 
This species, in common with two or three others of the fam- 
ily, is popularly credited with sucking the sap of fruit and 
ornamental trees, which, however, has been abundantly dis- 
proved, but not until the name sapsucker became a common 
appellation. If there had been any just ground for the ungra- 
cious charge, it should not fall upon this species, on account of 
