THE AMEEICAN THKEBTOED WOODPEOKEE. 79 



1883, near Sixth Lake, Fulton Chain, Hamilton County, New York, in a similar 

 situation, and generously presented both of these sets to me. 



During a careful examination of the series of specimens of this bird and its 

 two recognized subspecies* I found several skins collected by Mr. R. MacFarlane 

 in the vicinity of Fort Anderson, in latitude 68° 30' N., Northwest Territory, 

 which appear to me to come nearer to this species than to Picoides americanus 

 alascensis, to which Mr. E. W. Nelson refers them. Mr. MacFarlane also for- 

 warded two sets of eggs, with the parents, at the same time, and some of these 

 are now in the United States National Museum collection. A single egg, 

 originally from a set of three taken on May 30, 1863, accompanied by the 

 female bird, was taken from a cavity in a pine tree, 4 feet from the ground, 

 and another set of four, of which there are three eggs remaining, and likewise 

 accompanied by the male bird, was taken on June 5, 1864, from a hole in a 

 dry spruce, situated about 6 feet from the ground. The eggs from the last set 

 were said to have been lying on the decayed dust of the tree, and were perfectly 

 fresh when found. For some reason no mention has been made of these eggs 

 in the "History of North American Birds," although they were in the collection 

 when that work was written and were correctly labeled. 



The general habits of the American Three-toed Woodpecker appear to 

 be very similar to those of the preceding species, and it seems, if possible, to be 

 even a more hardy bird than the latter, extending its range to the northern 

 limit of trees. Nidification, even in the most northern parts of its range, seems 

 to commence about the same time as it does in the Adirondacks, long before 

 the ice and snow disappear. The usual number of eggs laid appears to be four, 

 and both sexes assist in incubation. Mr. MacFarlane, in his manuscript notes, 

 mentions finding a nest of four young Woodpeckers, in all probability of this 

 species (as one of these birds was seen in the vicinity on June 21, 1862) which 

 were then already apparently about a week or ten days old. As incubation 

 probably lasts about fourteen days, the eggs must have been laid in the last 

 week in May. The eggs of the American Three-toed Woodpecker are ovate in 

 shape and pure white in color; the shell is fine grained and only moderately 

 glossy. 



The average measurement of twelve eggs in the United States National 

 Museum collection is 23.41 by 17.80 millimetres, or about 0.92 by 0.70 incl. 

 The largest egg measures 24.13 by 17.78 millimetres, or 0.95 by 0.70 inch; the 

 smallest, 23.11 by 17.78 millimetres, or 0.91 by 0.70 inch. 



The type specimen. No. 23785 (not figured), Bendire collection, from a set 

 of four eggs, was taken by Dr. C. Hart Merriam, on Moose River, Herkimer 

 County, New York, on June 4, 1878, as previously stated. 



