Howell, T.R. 1950 S. v. nuchalis Dry Lake, f. 15 mi. N. of Princeton, B.C. May 2 (cont'd) past few mornings they were most active around 8:00 A.M. (now 7:30 A.M. D.S.T.), when the sun was just beginning to shine fully into this little valley in which the lake lies. Tattoos were heard from dawn until then, though. At 8:50 A.M., in the poplar grove at the north end of the lake, I came upon a nuchalis beginning to excavate a nesting hole in a big poplar, about 10-12 ft up. The cavity was just being started, and is only about bill-deep. At 10:45 I found another, in a poplar clump at the SW corner of the lake. This one is about 20-25 ft up in a big poplar, and my attention was attracted to it by a soft whine in response to my squeaking. This is the spot where the disturbed bird tattooed earlier this morning. A typical nuchalis was working. Counting the April 29 bird by Tulameen, this makes 3 nuchalis nests in the early stages of excavation. Of course, it may be that these will be abandoned and new ones started; often a nest tree shows several "false start" holes. I returned to the 8:50 nest site at 1:00 and waited until 3:00, but the bird did not appear. Practically all this time it was raining or hailing, and both continued throughout the afternoon. I did not hear or see a sapsucker.