if 
Breeding of the Hairy Woodpecker 
in Southern Massachusetts. 
The Hairy Woodpecker ( Dryobates villosus ) is 
not ranked as a common breeder in this part of 
New England, and two authentic instances may 
be worthy of record. May 19, 1885, a nest was 
found by myself, excavated in the trunk of an old 
decayed apple tree. It contained four eggs, 
much advanced in incubation, but which were 
preserved in good condition. During a recent 
visit of several members of the Bristol County 
Ornithological Club to Plymouth County, one of 
the number, Mr. Charles H. Andros, found a 
nest of the Hairy Woodpecker in a similar posi- 
tion as the first mentioned incident. P. H. C. 
O.&O. XI, Jun, 1886 .p, 
On the 19tli A while going through a hard 
wood tract 1 saw a Hairy Woodpecker ( Dry - 
abates villosus) fly past me and alight ou a wild 
apple tree within a few_ yards. Judging there 
was a nest near by, we at once began a search, j 
and after straining our eyes for some little 
time we were about to give it up, when within 
a few T feet of us in a live maple about ten feet 
from the ground, I saw the head of the female 
peeping out of the hole. She immediately 
dropped back out of sight and it was with con- 
siderable pounding and rapping with our hands 
and a club that we could induce her to leave 
the nest. Obtaining a hatchet at a house near 
by we soon exposed four pure white eggs about 
fifteen inches below the entrance of the exca- 
vation. This I believe is the second record of 
the breeding of this species in Bristol County. • 
O.& O. XHI.EehJ.8a8 p,30r^ 
