148 Barred Woodpecker (Ptcus minor). 



when he preferred "the tongs and the bones" to the 

 seraphine harmonies of the Fairy Queen and her elves. It 

 much resembles the snorting of a frightened horse, but 

 louder and longer. 1 have, indeed, occasionally heard this 

 churring in autumn; but very infrequent, and far feebler: 

 nor does this militate against its being a signal of love ; as 

 Nature often, with a fading though sunny smile, flings many 

 a vernal glance and expression into the serene features of 

 Autumn. My friend Bowman long ago suggested this was a 

 love-note, as our conversations were startfully interrupted by 

 it, amid the forest-like woods of Erddig, near his residence 

 at the Court. The acute and accurate Ray, with his amiable 

 integrity, doubted the mode of its performance, by his repe- 

 tition of the word vel (either). His emphatic words are well 

 worth quoting — -"Avis haec, vel rostro suo in rimam ar- 

 boris inserto et celerrime hue et illuc agitato, vel creber- 

 rima percussione, sonum efficit crepitantem clarum, qui e 

 longinquo exaudiri potest," * Now, I can assure your readers, 

 from the closest observation, that the bird does not slurr his 

 beak round a hole or fissure ; but, with inconceivably rapid 

 percussion, vibrates it against the tree. The motion is so 

 quick as to be invisible, and the head appears in two places 

 at once ; like that of the ivory ball on the end of a long and 

 very elastic whalebone, used for the playing on the pretty 

 instrument of unequal bars called the staccato : and it is 

 surprising, and to me wondrously pleasing, to observe the 

 many varieties of tone and pitch in their loud churring, as 

 they change their place on boughs of different vibration ; as 

 though they struck on the several bars of a gigantic staccato. 

 "When actually boring they make no noise whatever, but 

 quiet and silently pick out the pieces of decaying wood ; 

 which, lying white and scattered beneath on the ground and 

 plants, leads the eye up to their operations above. They 

 have several favourite spots, to which they very frequently 

 return. Their voice is a very feeble squeakj repeated 

 rapidly, six or eight times, ee ee ee ee ee. They bore numer- 

 ous and very deep holes in decayed parts, where they retire 

 to sleep early in the evening ; and, though frequently aroused, 

 will freely return. Whatever be the purpose of this enor- 

 mous noise, they certainly do very nimbly watch, and eagerly 

 pick up, the insects they have disturbed by it. The white 



♦ " This bird produces a clear clattering sound, which may be heard a 

 great way off, either by its beak inserted into the chink of a tree, and most 

 rapidly agitated to and fro, or by excessive thickly-close percussion.'* 

 (^Ray's Sj/nopsis Avium, p. 43. 8vo, 1713.) 



