Sphyrapicus varius. 1876. Maine (Lake Umbagog). (June 2) A wing-tipped male upon being seized set up a per- flectly deafening clamor, screaming continuously, and so loudly that he might have been heard for a quarter of a mile. He was very spirited and plucky raising the feathers of the crown in a conspicuous crest and hammer- ing at my hand so forcibly as nearly to draw blood. 3. Three nests, the first in a tall stub standing in water eight or ten foot deep, the hole at least thirty foot above the water. My guide felled the tree fortu- nately without breaking the eggs which were three in num- ber. Upon shooting the female I found that she would have laid four more. Her mate which I also killed had the rather unusual red nuchal band. This nest had an entrance hole one and one-half inches in diameter; the interior cavity was twelve and one-half inches deep, with a diam or of about five inches. The parent birds were noisy and very tame. The second nest was in a red oak at the Ellinwood Farm . It contained six fresh eggs. The hole was about fifteen feet above the water. The interior cavity perhaps twelve inches deep. The third nest was in a very tall stub and at least fifty foot above the water. Upon felling the tree we found it contained both of which were broken. The entrance hole measured one and ten-sixteenths inches in diameter and the interior cavity sixteen inches in depth. I no- ticed that the wood was somewhat softer than in either of the other trees. The oak stub is the only one that I have seen which did not contain at least five or six nesting cavities. At least half of these are usually new. The birds evidently breed in the same tree year after year. The nest is easily found as the parents delight in flying in and out and have a habit of cling- ing just below the entrance for many minutes at a time apparently looking on. Upon emerging they often strug- gle violently before they can crowd themselves through the small hole. 8. Four nests; containing respectively five eggs slightly incubated, seven perfectly fresh, five slightly incubated; and six eggs nearly fresh. The first nest about eight feet above the water in a live poplar, the hole entering where a knot had been, penetrating three inches horizontally, then descending about twelve inches; the second nest in a dead birch, at about the same height; the third at least thirty feet above the water in a very rotten birch stub; the fourth nest about fifteen feet above the water in a birch. None of the parent birds made much noise while we were taking their eggs.