226 
Sphyrapicus varius 
Maine (Lake IJmbagog ). 
A v/ing-tippod male upon being seized set up a per¬ 
fectly deafening clamor, screaming continuously, and so 
loudly that ho might have been hoard for a quarter of 
a mile. Ho v/as very spirited and plucky raising tho 
foathors of the crown in a conspicuous crest and harrmor- 
ing at my hand so forcibly as nearly to drav? blood. 
Throe nests, the first in a tall stub standing in 
v/'ator eight or ton feet deep, tho hole at least thirty 
feet above the water. My guide foiled the tree fortu¬ 
nately 'vithout breaking uho eggs v/hich were three in numi- 
bei . Upon shooting the feiralo I found that she v/ould 
have laid four more. Her mate which I also killed had 
the rather unusual rod nuchal band. This nest had an 
eiiuranco hole one and one-half inches in riiametor; tho 
interior oavitj was tv/olvo and one—half inches deep, 
^/ith cj. diario or of aoout five inches. The pare^it birds 
\7ei e nois^/ and very tame. The second nest vyas in a 
red oax at the Rllmy/'ood Varm . It contained six fresh 
eggs. The hole v/’a.s about fifteen feet above the v/ator 
The interior cavity perhaps tv/elve inches deep. The 
third nest \7as in a very tall stub and a.t '' least fifty 
feet above the water. Upon felling the tree wo found 
it contained both of which ’v/ero broken. Tho en,trance 
hole measured one and ten-sixteenths inches in diameter 
and thointorior cavity sixteen inches in depth. I no¬ 
ticed that the vroocl was somewhat softer than in either 
of the other trees. The oak stub is tho only one that 
I have soon v/hich did not contain at least five or six 
nesting cavities. At least half of these are usually 
now; The birds evidently breed in tho same tree year 
after year. Tho nest is easily found as tho -parents 
delight in flying in and out and have a habit of cling¬ 
ing just belov/ the entrance for many minutes at a time 
apparently looking on. Upon emirging they often strug¬ 
gle violently before they can erov/d themselves throup-h 
the small hole. 
Pour nests; containing respectively five oags 
slightly incubated, seven perfec'ly fresh, five slightly 
incubated; and six eggs noa-ly fresh. The first nest 
about oight feet above the water in a live poplar the 
hole entering where a knot had boon, penetrating three 
inches horizontally, then descending about tv/elve inches- 
the second nest in a dead birch, at about tho same height- 
tho third at least thirty foot above the water in a very ’ 
rotton birch stub; tho fourth nest about fifteen foot 
above tho water "in a birch Mririo /-.c i 
uj-icn. None of the pareni birds 
made much noise v/hilo v/e were taking their eggs 
An inaccessible nest in a tall stub had the smallest 
entrance hole that I have ever seen, so small in fact that 
the oird had to struggle violently to got in. 
A female launching out into 
flies. 
the 
air and catching 
I 
