998° NOTES ON THE 
Mr. Washburn found that species ‘‘exceedingly common, 
both in Otter Tail and Mille Lacs,” while this ‘‘was not very 
common.” Lumbermen in the uninhabited pineries become 
greatly attached to this woodpecker on account of its habit cf 
following them in their work. Considerable numbers of them, 
associated with Nuthatches and Titmice, visit their camps al- 
most daily. They are occasionally seen in the most central 
part of the city in March on sunny days. They were reported 
fairly common at Lanesboro in the severest part of the winter. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
Above black, with a white band down the back; two white 
stripes on the side of the head; the lower of opposite sides 
always separated, the upper sometimes confluent on the nape; 
two stripes of black on the side of the head, the lower one not 
running into the forehead; beneath white; wing much spotted 
with white; the larger coverts with two series each; tertiaries 
or inner secondaries, all banded with white; two outer tail 
feathers white, with two bands of black at the end, third, 
white at the tip and externally. Male with red terminating 
the white-feathers on the nape; legs and feet bluish-green; 
claws light-blue, tipped with black; iris dark hazel. 
Length, 6.25; wings, 3.75. 
Habitat, northern and eastern North America. 
PICOIDES ARCTICUS (Swarnson). (400.) 
ARCTIC THREE-TOED WOODPECKER. 
This is not a common Woodpecker in any part of the State, 
but more nearly so in the Lake Superior, and northern pinery 
regions than the middle and southern districts. An occasional 
individual migrating somewhat southerly in winter, gets into 
' the hands of collectors as far south as Minneapolis, as they 
are to be seen in the collections of the taxidermists in both St. 
Paul and Minneapolis, and have been ever since I have resided 
here. The only specimens which I have obtained have been 
one sent from Duluth*, and another from the pineries, some- 
what eastof Mille Lacs. They were both adult males. It has 
been said that this species exhibits a preference for swamps, 
* Prof. W. W. Cook wrote me that he shot a female of this species May 23, 1881, near 
Detroit, in Becker county, which contained large, well developed ova. It was in a 
clump of dead pines that were full of holes. 
Mr. Washburn secured a specimen at Mille Lacs. I hear that the eggs of this bird 
have been obtained recently in Mille Lacs, but have not seenthem. Parties living in 
the vicinity of Princeton seem to think it not a very rare bird in the sandy, pine 
region, near that place, and that its habits in no way distinguish it from any other 
Woodpeckers. The markings however do, so that there is little reason to doubt its 
identy upon their description, I think. 
