140 British Birds ^ 



rain ; whence one of its common or by-names. It 

 breeds in holes in trees, which it often excavates in 

 part or enlarges to suit its wants. It makes no nest, 

 but deposits its eggs, four to seven in number, and 

 perfectly white, on a bed of the soft decayed wood of 

 the tree. The eggs average rather over 1^ inch in 

 length, by about f inch broad. No illustration being 

 possible, in our space, of purely white eggs, I think it 

 better to append their measurements. 



GREAT SPOTTED ^OQiY)YM^'K^^—{Dendrocopus 



major ; formerly, Picus major). 



Pied Woodpecker, French-pie, Wood-pie, Whitwall, 

 Great Black and White Woodpecker, Wood-nacker. — 

 A not very uncommon bird in some localities, and 

 very rare in others nowadays. It is less likely, too, 

 to betray its presence by its note than the Green 

 Woodpecker, and is so shy and so capable of conceal- 

 ing itself, or keeping the trunk of a tree always 

 between itself and any prying observer, tbat doubtless 

 it is deemed to be more rare than it really is. It 

 seems to prefer the vicinity of woods, but may be seen 

 occasionally where woods do not abound, and some- 

 times even it resorts to places where abundance of old 

 posts or decaying tree-trunks lead it to expect a 

 plentiful repast. It breeds in holes in trees, making 

 no nest, and laying its four or five eggs on just such 

 a bed as its green namesake. The female is very 

 averse to leaving her eggs, and shows almost as much 

 pertinacity as a Tom-tit in abiding by them. They are 

 1 inch long by J inch broad. 



