196 NOTES ON NEW ENGLAND BIRDS 



quarter of an inch thick. At the hole it is left one inch 

 thick. At the nest it is about two and three eighths 

 inches in diameter. I find nothing in the first but bits 

 of rotten wood, remains of insects, etc., when I tip it 

 up, — for I cannot see the bottom, — yet in the old 

 one there is also quite a nest of fine stubble (?), bark 

 shred (?), etc., mixed with the bits of rotten wood. 



[<See also under General and Miscellaneous, pp. 415, 

 416, 422.] 



ARCTIC THREE-TOED WOODPECKER 



Oct. 8, 1860. Standing by a pigeon-place on the 

 north edge of Damon's lot, I saw on the dead top of 

 a white pine four or five rods off — which had been 

 stripped for fifteen feet downward that it might die 

 and afford with its branches a perch for the pigeons 

 about the place, like the more artificial ones that were 

 set up — two woodpeckers that were new to me. They 

 uttered a peculiar sharp heh kek on alighting (not so 

 sharp as that of the hairy or downy woodpecker) and 

 appeared to be about the size of the hairy woodpecker, 

 or between that and the golden-winged. I had a good 

 view of them with my glass as long as I desired. "With 

 the back to me, they were clear black all above, as well 

 as their feet and bills, and each had a yellow or orange 

 (or possibly orange-scarlet?) front (the anterior part 

 of the head at the base of the upper mandible). A 

 long white line along the side of the head to the neck, 

 with a black one below it. The breast, as near as I 

 could see, was gray specked with white, and the under 

 side of the wing expanded was also gray, with small 



