IJjUT. 25, 1888. 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



608 



Family & EiCBDWID^: KtNQl 

 188. Belted Kingfisher- A!, f docfle!/o?i,Ani.;Gi!Hf1enU^on 

 Ridg. 382, Cs. 433. -Common. LmvOS early in April, 

 i doles mad* by itsfelf i» banks or cliffs. Eiayi: 

 from five to seven wire white eggs,, in Maj ami .Tunc. Tin: 

 kmgflshers are to be found evcryw here along our coast, and 

 throughout the interior about the lakes, rivera and even 

 jbtj small streams. It remains in the autumn until the 

 streams are frozen oysr, and it bae been asserted that 

 occasionally these birds have remained, on the coast, 



throughout' the entire winter. Lhavt tl various - ' 



served them In Maine within the limits of every month ex- 

 cepting January and February. 



Fvmily Pu'iu.k. "\\ i i.. ,. - 



j^y. Pileated Woodpecker— Piatt j)ifercftw;Aud.j SyWn- 

 .. ' ■ tf.ua Ridg. 371, Cs. 4S&— ffol uncommon in densely 



wooded regions." lint not found On the CDaSt. Xowheie 

 abundant iu Maine. and rarely more than two or three found to- 

 gether. Besident throughout the year, and no doubt breeds: 

 here, although the discovery of it= i-m- ha-- not heerj reported. 

 This is Tie: largest of the northern woodpeckers, and is 



locally known be the lumbermen and hunters by various 

 itaiw, as ■'.•oekof the woods," 'red-headed woodcock," 

 "black woodcock," etc. The pileated woodpecker- me 

 found far jiorili in Canada, and are widely distributed 

 through the United States: T bavefound them more abjm- 

 danl in Virginia than elsewhere, and in favorite localities, 

 hare observed as many as five adults upon a single tree to 

 gether. A raxo occurrence, even where these birds were sc 

 abundant as in the locality referred to. This species, as 

 also every -pceies of Woodpecker found, in Maine, usually 

 lays its eggs in a hole excavated by the bird with its bill iii 

 fb'c trunk of a tree, most frequently such a one as is dead or 

 partially decayed. 



L3Q. Hairy Woodpecker— Pisua villoms And. ; Ridg. 3«0, 

 Cs. 438.— Common. Resident. Breeds. Lays from four 



i.i Sis 3mOl>th white eggs. "Woodpeckers of this species are 

 most commonly observed here during the late autumn and 

 in the winter, when they frequent orchards, groves of ma- 

 ples and other deciduous trees, and. the pasture's or ravines 

 overgrown with alder bushes, Not so abnndanl as the next 

 named species, 



131. Dowur Woodpecker— Ticus pM&acw And., Ridg. 

 86t, Cs. 440.'— Abundant. Resident. Breeds. Lays six 

 White eggs, in June. This diminutive facsimile of 

 the hairy woodpecker is the most common species of 

 woodpecker in Maine, as it is also the smallest. 



13:2. Black backed Woodpecker.— PJmS OTetiaiS Ami. ; 

 Picidc-s an-tktt.t Ridg.Wl, Cs. 443.— Common in Northern 

 and Central Maine, Res dent, and undoubted 'y breeds. Of 

 the two species of three-toed Woodpeckers, this is the 

 most common. Its favorite haunts are tracts of forest 

 through which fires have spread and partially killed the 

 trees. " 1 have never found them abundant anywhere in 

 Maine, but in various localises in Canada if appears to be 

 the most common spJCies, and 1 have there seen a dozen 

 specimens within a quarter mile radius. The black backed 

 wood pecker frequents th s coniferous trees, itich as spruce, 

 fir and hackmatack, irom which it procures its fool in the 

 U3'jal manner of wood peckers, and I have, never observed a 

 single instance of this binl a lighting upon any o her than 

 coniferous trees. Its favorite- food consists of the soft flat 

 worms, white witu hrowu heads, of an inch or less in 

 length, which it finds imbedded in the trunks of living trees 

 such as are above mentioned. Upon a single occasion only 

 have I observed this woodpecker ahght upon a I ree abso- 

 lutely dead, and even then not in search of food, but only 

 as an available re ting place after a long flight across fields. 

 Its flight, when protracted, is very undulating, but rapid, 

 and the course through the air is n series of vertical curves, 

 each similar to such as is described by a bullet shot from a 

 rifle. Upon the ascending or first part of each curve t ie 

 wings beat so rapidly as to produce a rolling sound, so loud 

 as to be beard at a distance of two hundred yards : i n: ■ u , 

 A good imitation of this sound may be produced, by draw- 

 ing one's lingers rapidly across round wooden fence slats of 

 one iuch diameter, placed two or three inches apart— a 

 mellow roll, unlike either the whistle of a duck's wings, or 

 the whir of the wings of a grouse, Upon the descending, 

 or latter and shorter portion of each curve of flight, the 

 wings are closed, and are therefore then silent for a moment. 

 The cry 6f this bird, easily recognized as that of a wood- 

 pecker by any person familiar with the family habits, is a 

 harsh rattling scream, that ends in a sort of chuckle pro- 

 duced by a unison of the rattling notes. This woodpecker 

 i- very tame, and appears to be quite indifferent to the 

 presence of a human being. 1 have approached within 

 fifteen feet of one, and retired" without disturbing the bird in 

 the least, although I was evidently observed. _ 



I remember upon one occasion trying in vain to alarm one 

 id blows- with the butt of my ride upon the trunk 

 of a spruce tree of nine inches diameter, while the lard was 

 on the tree barely twenty feet above, although so , ommon 

 in certain localities, yet 1 have seen no more than tw to- 

 _, i :,. ijpmi one tree. All the specimens of the black -backed 

 three-toed woodpeckers procured by mv Self havi been 

 marked with white upon a feu of the longest soft feathers 

 of the back and upon each was found flic obscure line . if 

 white exiHiidiua backward from the eye, and which is es 

 posed l.v slbj-htlv parting the feathers. The males have a 

 Luge crown patch of orange or Lsmou yellow: crowns of 

 ■-, mi .I. - of :, l.luish black like the rest, of upper parts. 



iMtl. Banded Woodpecker— Pkm hivhutw And, ; P«v«'<?fiS 

 tridnftyliiK (iiiK'rkamix Ridg. 308, ; Pictiitf.es <UM:rkt>)<nt Ob, 

 444 —Not common. Probably resident and breeds, The 

 banded three toed woodpecker appears to be nowhere a o-n 

 common species, and mv observations of its habits have 

 been more limited than of the black-backed species., from 

 which it may easily lie distinguished by the smaller size, 

 and white bunds across the back, in both BeXeS. This wood- 

 pecker is of a more retiring and suspicious Datura than the 

 preceding species, and il is partly on this ic - '! 



as from the fact of its habitat being the densi rergi en 

 forests, that SO few are observed. 1 once endeavored to 

 procure a specimen with aid of a revolver pistol, after hav- 

 ing watched Its movements fa a lone time. It would not 



tern iioaj an approach as the two black-backed wood- 



,,; ; [] chose con '■ ppe uedtohe, and my pres- 



,-uo<- produced a watchful rest le--nes- that prohibited 8 Stall 



shot. After folio* ii '. wd Lwotingat this bird a second 

 time it left the vicinity, although if- companions manifested 

 i: . i ie lie a! the reports of the pistol 

 134 Yellow-bellied woodpecker— JFVVks Mrtw And.; 

 u« varies Hidg. 369, Cs. 446. — Common. Arrives 

 in April Breeds. Lays from four to six pure white eggs 

 in May and June. This species often remains quite, late iu 



the autumn, hut 1 have not known of its occurrence here in 

 winter. II is here sometimes known as "sap-sucker " 

 13.i Bed-headed Woodpecker- /'/-•"* unll'mn p/ut/v* 



Vud ; W&fawrp ■ ttythrowluib. - Ridg. 375, Cs. 13 

 visitaul from the South. In the autumn of 1ST-' this species 

 appeared to he not uncommon in Western Maim and 



:ral specimens were killed in Cumberland county. Itsoc- 

 curreiue here is now apparently less infrequent than for- 

 rueily, and possibly a few may breed here. Mr. Luther 

 Redfon observed one in Portland May 85, 1879. Mr, Manly 



Hardy -hot one a.- far east as Machias Rrver, iu W 



county, and writes methat it was "the only one ( have seen 

 alive 'in over lorry years' traveling in Maine woods." A 

 specimen was killed mar Newport, Me., and one at, Bangor, 

 Me., in the spring of 1881, Mr. Hardy informs me. 



A specimen was shot by Mr. Warren Noyes in the town 

 Of Gilead, Oxford county, early in the month of June, 1881 . 

 I observed three adult males hi a grove of oak trees near 

 Portland city. April 3, 1883. The woodpeckers of this 

 species are not such habitual peckers of wood as are many 

 other i : th sanii family, but feed principally upon nut's 

 .and fruits although insects are also eaten. In the stomachs 

 of several specimens taken earlv iu spring, 1 have found the 

 undigested contents to consist solely of small bits of the 

 kernels of acorns. Baft-shelled nuts, such as aeornsand 

 beechnuts an readily opened by these birds, and appear to 



n nfi 1 'food oi some localities when other food is 



less abnn 



138. Goldch-\\ iuged. Woodpecker — Pirn* mrratus And.; 

 l' l il < i/)/<x,ni,;i.r'in Bidg. 378. Cs. 457. Abundant. Arrives 

 early in April. Breeds in tree holes, hollow posts, etc 

 Lavs from rive to seven eggs, gdossv white, of a rosy hue 

 When fresh, in May and June. This woodpecker, or '■.yellow- 

 hammer," as it is locally termed in Maine, is the most beau- 

 tiful of all oni woodpeckers, as well as the mosl common 



species in Maine. It frequents cultivated lands rather than 

 dense forests, is fond of fruit, especially cherries, but. like 

 the robins, with which it associates during migrations, 

 seeks its food upon the ground more frequently than upon 

 trees. Mr. Edward Tucker has given me an interesting ac- 

 count of a nest of this species, which he found i" Kennebec 

 county. Maine, which was used to his knowledge, for five 

 consecutive (ears, although eggs were taken from it each 

 year. "Each year the birds would make the hole a little 

 deeper, and the last time I visited it the hole was over two 

 feel in depth. One season twenty-nine eggs were taken 

 from it, from three to six at one time. Of the last six eggs 

 taken, one was but half the size of the others." This species 

 is migratory, and associates in considerable numbers pre- 

 vious to departure in the autumn. None are found here in 

 wint a-. 



[to be continued. 1 



STRANGE SEA MONSTERS. 



\\7E have received for publication, from Prof. Spencer 

 t't F. Baird, of the United States Fish Commission, a 

 letter from an officer of the Navy, giving some observations 

 made by him on the coast of Massachusetts in 1878. The 

 occurrence is of special interest in connection with the 

 leoent article in these columns on the "Sea Serpent," and we 

 trust that further details from Captain Hi w s may bj had 

 before long. Captain Plant's letter is as fo.lo . r s: 



U. B. NrritE D2POT, Maiden, Mass., Dx, 81, 18S.3. 

 Piuf, Speticrr F. BtirJ, U. 8, Ctmaikfioner of Fa/utriei, 

 WaiMngttm, D. C: 



Dear Sir— Your letter of the nth came to hand some 

 time ago, an I my reason for not writing sooner is that I was 



Fig. 1. Fig. a. 



hopes of obtaining other reliable information for you on 

 this subject from Captain Frank M. Howes, of the Boston 

 ihip Company. Captain Howes, in 1870, 

 I,." ii saw not only one, but three of 

 a small and one large one. They were 



& Baltimore Si 



in almost flies 

 these monsters 



till close together and near his ship. Captain H has 



promised to give, me Mb report, and when i get it I will 



Ii is with pleasure that I give you mv experience with the 

 sea monster. 



On August 'Jit, 1878, while in command pf the coast sur- 



1 i oner Drift, we were about five miles north of Race 



Point, Capo Cod, Mass, Weather calm We were drifting 



with the ebb current. At about i :30 P. At. T observed at a 



: not more than two hundred yards from uaa rery 



singular object comeright up-out ofthesea, I took the marine 



glasses and looked at this object, it must have shown at 

 least twenty-five or thirty feel out of water almost upright, 

 and about, as large as a barrel This object looked smooth 

 and of a dark brown color. I could see no eyes nor mouth. 

 .I ring out of the top. While I was 

 looking at this it turveel and went down. (See rough sketch 

 marked 1 — 3), 



In about, a half-hour later the same thing again earns np 

 ill an angle of about 20" with the horizon It ran its length 



out. of ihc water at lea-t .thirty-five oi forty feet It being 

 much neater us. I had a gO0<3 look of BeVW3 



_:. ■: i '_l; is its color and general appear 



b inJ - Srai seen. I could disc 

 mouth nor anything looking like them. Ithiidi.it this time 

 something must have alarmed ii. for it made- a graceful 



ii rtCJ fi bill just as it was going down a long, 



sharp fin cami tip (eei etch S — I). Tie nronstei i ovorl 



■ii - i?h j jrea -, t i m K.'11-ma : - 



wake after it. This wake nould be seen y. long i due after, 

 J here lieu leave to state that 1 have told you jut I What 



saw, and leave the matter with you to decide what it could 



have been. 



1 am quite used to seeing « hales .irid know positively that 



this was not one. [ hope you will pardon delay for reasons 



Willi the iTi-iii. --' i-i .' eei ,n ie respectfully void 

 Obedient servant, Robiski Platt. Master li. S. N. 



In connection- with the above report the following i- ot 



great interest- Wc learn thai iu 1860 Mr. Charles .Ionian. 

 One Of the topographers Of the F. S. Coast Survey, white 

 engaged in hydrographic work neaa-Matmicuu, off the coast 

 of Maine, observed, at a distance of about half a, mile, what 

 he supposed to be a ship's mast, sticking straight out of the 

 water, and inclined at a moderate angle to ihc surface 

 This soon disappeared, leaving a great swirl in the water. 

 such as would he occasioned by the. submergence of some 

 large mass. Nothing of this kind was again observed in 

 the course of a continued sojourn in the neighborhood, and 

 the existence Of any wreck in that spot was slouily denied. 



STRANGE HAWKS' NESTS. 



IN a recent issue of the F0BE8TAt?D Stream the] at) 

 peared a short article by Mr. Boardnein. descriptive of 

 the nest of an eagle found in Northern Dakota, the pecu- 

 liarity of which was that it was constructed largely of buf- 

 falo " ribs. It may not be without interest in 

 this connection to call attention to the fact that 

 these curious pieces of bird architecture ate b\ 

 no means uncommon throughout the prairie region 

 of Central Dakota. Several such uests came under the no- 

 lice of the writer while engaged in that part of the country 

 last summer, and a number of others were reported from 

 neighboring localities. One in particular of those examined 

 may be worthy of special note. 



One day, while upon the unbroken prairie, at a point far 

 remote from timber or tree-like grow-th of any kind, the l,ne 

 of travel chanced to pass close by a huge boulder that had 

 been strangely dropped here all alone in liuw long pa>t. On 

 its elevated tui) ujarlyUit top, theie was visiule a large, 

 mass of material, whim at one: sug rented lie: pics.a-ee ot a, 

 'lest of some kind, and upon close inspection tuis proved to 

 be the cast. 



A nest it wns, or rather what had done duty as a ies t for 

 there was tittle about the mass thai woalJ call up the p'ei are 

 usually suggested by the expression bird's nest. Except ior 

 the somewhat suggestive sbipe.it was much moic like a 

 rubbish heap in th/ variety and ch natter of the e at ii .Is 

 piled together. A I uge p ut of th ' heap eou-isted of bones, 

 not only the buff do rws mentioned above, hut also nuiut r- 

 OJ3 slu ild.-r bladjs, legbojes, etc.. of I luaulelopj. and o.'lier 

 animals. The siz:,and puticulaily thushapoof some of 

 these, must have made them ratner avvKw.nd '■.-licks" 

 to convey any distance. The skeleton nest thus formed, 

 was rendered more habitable by filling in, and smootaiug 

 oil' the angles, with bunches of turf, 'weed stalks, reeds, 

 rushes and such other debris as could be picked up on a 

 trecles-', brusbless plain. Among the mass of stuff that had 

 been brought together was one obj.'d which appeared 

 ia her Strang.- iu such a place; namely, a latge utiehcr 

 knife, it was sticking carelessly jo the sale of i lie nest, and 

 seemed to suggest that even the birds of this "W e 'tern country 

 might be possessed of Ihc almost uuiversaldct be to goabouL 

 with a bowie knife conspicuously displayed in belt or 

 breeches. 



i lus nest, had been abandoned some little lime, fts [t was 

 the latter part of July when it was discovered, Auouier 

 found a short time before, containing one young bind, was 

 built almost entirely of buffalo ribs. The usual situation 

 seemed to be upon the ground, or upon flat rocks upon the 

 tops of the high hills or "buttes," that, are such conspicuous 

 and curious features of the topography of some parts of the 

 Missouri River region. 



The most common species of hawk noticed, and the one 

 that was apparently the builders of many of these bone nests 

 was .Swainson's (Buiep X train win), though it is more than 

 probable that the red tail and other hawks of this region have 

 the same habit. "Why such material is made' u^v of. is ven 

 apparent and needs no comment. The bone; become so 

 ligbtainl dry from long exposure to the weather, that, they 

 are not such bad material when employed In the bui 

 sites necessarily selected here as might at first be supposed. 

 T. S. |,v, 



ZuSi PoTTUttY. — Hartford readers of flu .uncle in the 

 current number of the Century by Frank II. Cunning-, entitled 

 "Mv Adventures in Zuni," will be greatly interested in s 

 cole- -[km of odd pottery now On OXMbitiOn ill MW sbOH 



window of T, Steele & Son's jewelry store in lieu citv. 

 These curious waives are made by the Zuhi Indians of New 

 Mexico, among wdiom Mr. dishing has SpPIM ■■■ ■.■■■i.,| years 

 of his life iu scientific research. The goods are In if. form 



of animals, bowls, cups, saucers, idols ! I til of i 



dull; red color, decorated with designs oi bird !rce> 

 striped iu white and black or other coitus a- Men i,.e. 



suited the Indian's fancy. The Circumstances under which 



interesting being .the rcsultof a friendsbipengeudered through 

 (be mellowing influence of a cam], lire, while oil a felling 

 and hunting trip iu 1883. "Mv companion, whose companj 

 1 enjoyed on the Lakes." writes Mr. Steele, "finally settled 

 in Albuquei que. New Mexico. BOO miles soutlte. isl of which 

 town dwell the ZuDi Indians. For twehtj ycais we haw 

 continued to correspond with one another, but not once 

 during the entire time have we ever niei. I shouldn't 

 ' , i dm if he came into my office this moment, but we pui 

 our though i s on paper in as familiar a manner as if we parted 



yesterday. "VVp are exchanging something or J Itht 



time, and this Zuni pottery is the latest " 



Snow-v Owl.— Pirn mix, Oswego County, Jan. S, 1883.-- 

 Charles Patchcl shot a snow owl to-day measuring five feet 

 one inch from tip to tip, and weighing five pounds, Mr 

 P. has also captured two foxes this winter.— Will Smitb. 



