116
1897
June 4
(No 4)
Lake Umbagog.
Bottle Brook Pond.
upright dry prong (a last leading shoot) of a living
spruce but he also drummed on a tall naked stub
& on more distant trees which were beyond our
view. The spruce stood on the edge of the pond about
20 yards from the nest.
[margin]Nest of
Picoides
americanus[/margin]
  I had abundant opportunities for studying the
drumming call to-day. It varied in duration from
one to two seconds (never running over or under three
limits) but was usually 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 seconds. The
intervals were too irregular to be worth recording. The
first three or four tops were slightly slower and more
disconnected than the remaining ones but the general
effect was that of a uniform roll similar to that
of the Downy & Hairy Woodpeckers but less loud & penetrating. & Still
it carried well & doubtless might have been heard 1/4
of a mile away under favorable conditions.
[margin]Drumming
of bird.[/margin]
  My impression, based on the comparatively slight exerience
of June 2, to the effect that Picoides americanus is
a very much less active and restless bird than P. [Picoides]
arcticus was confirmed to-day. At least this male
which I had under close observation for five or six
consecutive hours was almost if not quite as slow
and lethargic of movement as a Sphyrapicus varius.
He would spend minutes at a time clinging to
one spot and when he moved up the trunks it
was in a singularly slow, deliberate manner. Only
while in or at the nest did he show any real
animation.
  I did not hear him make any vocal sound whatever
to-day. When he flew from tree to tree the rustling of 
his wings was always audible & often very distinct if