26o THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



chips the creamy white eggs (Plate 1 16), five to seven in number, 

 are laid in the second half of May. The hole is rarely used 

 again, but not infrequently other holes a|-e bored in the same 

 tree ; I have seen eighteen in one dead trunk ; they are seldom 

 at less than twelve feet above the ground. Almost any tree, if 

 sufficiently rotten, is used. The young, when the parents are 

 feeding them, cluster at the mouth of the hole and keep up a 

 continuous chatter, but when alarmed slip back into the nest. 

 The increase of the Starling has had its effect upon the numbers 

 of the Pied Woodpecker, for this determined bird will evict the 

 rightful owner and occupy the ready-made hole. 



The upper parts of the male are glossy black, with buff on 

 the forehead, a crimson spot on the nape and white on the sides 

 of the face and neck ; on the shoulder is a large white patch, 

 and the flight feathers are barred with black and white. The 

 three outer tail feathers are barred ; these show when the short 

 stiff tail is outspread, acting as a support in climbing. The 

 under parts are huffish white, the abdomen and under tail- 

 coverts crimson. The bill is slate-black, the legs greenish 

 grey, and the irides crimson. The female, a slightly smaller 

 bird, has no crimson on the nape, and in the young this nape 

 spot is absent, but the crown is crimson. Length, 9*5 ins. 

 Wing, 5*5 ins. Tarsus, "9 in. 



Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Dryobates 7ninor (Linn.). 



The range of the Lesser Spotted or Barred Woodpecker is 

 Pakearctic, but several sub-species are recognised. The British 

 form (Plate 104), which also occurs in portions of western 

 Europe, is resident in England and Wales, though rare in the 

 north and extreme west. Many, at any rate, of the records for 

 Scotland and Ireland must be accepted with caution. 



From its small size and its habit of spending most of its time 

 in the tops of tall trees in woods and parks, this httle Wood- 



