358 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



WOODPECKER, GREEN. 



Description of Farent Birds. — Length about 

 thirteen inches. Beak rather long, strong, and 

 dusky in colour. Irides greyish- white. Crown, 

 crimson ; neck, back, lesser wing-coverts, and 

 scapulars green ; rump yellow ; upper tail-coverts 

 yellow, tinged with green in parts. AYing-quills 

 dusky, barred and spotted with buffish-white, some 

 of the lesser being margined with olive-green. 

 Tail-quills dusky, barred with greyish-brown, some 

 of them being margined with green. From the 

 base of the beak, round and behind the eyes, the 

 feathers are black. A crimson streak, bordered 

 with black, runs from the gape some little way 

 down the sides of the neck. Chin, throat, breast, 

 and all under-parts pale greyish-green. Legs, toes, 

 and claws ash-colour. The toes are disposed, two 

 in front and two behind, and claws hooked. 



The female has less crimson on her crown, and 

 none at all fi-om the gape down the sides of the 

 neck, which is black. 



Situation and Local it ij. — In holes in trees, 

 generally dug by the bird's own exertions, those 

 composed of soft wood being preferred. The hole 

 is from ten to eighteen inches dee]). It breeds in 

 suitably wooded localities nearly all over England, 

 but is least numerous in the northern counties, and 

 does not breed in either Scotland or Ireland. 



Mciteriah. — Only the chips and bits of decayed 

 wood, detached in hewing the nesting-place. 



Eggs. — Five to seven, sometimes eight, j^ure 

 white, unspotted, and glossy. Size about 1-3 by 

 •92 in. Distinguished by large size and appearance 

 of parent birds. 



