52 FRIENDS OF T^HE AGRICULTURIST 



two feet, then turns to the right or left and ends in a dome- 

 shaped cavity about 6 inches in height. The bird usually 

 chooses a point in the bank about a foot or 18 inches below 

 the top, where the soil is moist from surface drainage and 

 consequently easier to excavate. 



The Ground Woodpecker (Geocolaptes olwaceus) is olive- 

 brown above, narrowly barred with white : rump, throat 

 and breast washed with crimson ; remainder of under parts 

 resembling the back. Length, about 11| inches. 



The Knysna Woodpecker (Campothera notata) has the top 

 of the head crimson, back olive-green ; below pale yellow 

 thickly spotted with black. Length, 8| inches. This bird 

 seems to be confined to the Cape and Natal. 



The Cardinal Woodpecker (Dendropicus cardiualis) is the 

 commonest and most widely distributed of the South African 

 Woodpeckers. Hinder portion of crown crimson ; back 

 olive-brown barred with white ; below greyish streaked on 

 the breast and barred on the flanks with black. We have 

 collected specimens at Port Alfred, Grahamstown and 

 Uitenhage, in the Cape Province, Brandfort and Modeler 

 Kiver in the Orange Free State, Irene, Modderfontein, near 

 Johannesburg, and the Aapies Eiver (Waterval North) in 

 the Transvaal. Mr. Harry Neethling recorded it from Parys, 

 Orange Free State. 



It is a tamer bird than most of the other species, and we 

 have frequently watched one, at a distance of only a few 

 yards, creeping up tree-trunks with great celerity, indus- 

 triously searching for insects. Length, 6 inches. 



The Olive Woodpecker (Mesopicus griseocephalus) is fairly 

 common in the Eastern Province of the Cape, its habits not 

 differing materially from those of the preceding species. 



It is of a plain ^oldon-olive above, top of fehe head, rump, 

 and upper tail-coverts red, throat slatey. Length, 8| inches. 



