l-2i BRITISH BI1{1)>. [vol. ix. 



one brood), and judtiinjj.' by foui' licinu found in this nest they 

 are evidently " housed "" in j'etinn for theii' xohuitaiy licl]). J 

 replaced the lino; wjtli one mnnbered (I()7(). 



H. W. llOBINSON. 



SOMI<: HAIilTS OF 'rHE (iKKAT SI'OTTKI) 

 WOODPECKER. 

 As it is stated in the Bn'fi'y// IVtnJ Book (Vol. II., p. 333) that 

 the Great S])otted Woodpecker (iJrijohafes m. anglicus) is 

 rarely seen on the gromid, it may be of interest to record 

 that on Ma}- 9th. 1915. I saw a male clinging to the side of 

 the bank of a pool in Alderley Park, Cheshire. The roots of 

 a i^oplar were embedded in the bank, but the bird clnng 

 l)oth to the bank and to the root, hopping from side to side, 

 and afterAvards climbed to the level grass at the top of the 

 bank and stood and hopped on that. On investigation I 

 could see the holes in the bank made by the bird's beak, 

 but the only foodstuff I could find was a small Hy. whose 

 s]iecies I am not entomologist enough to determine. 



The same work also states (Vol. II., p. 321) that it is 

 uncertain whether both sexes take part in excavating the 

 nesting-hole, and (on p. 325) that of the courtship display we 

 know practically iiothing. J watched a ]iair at the nesting- 

 hole in Ma3% 1912, and distinctly saw both male and female 

 excavating. During courtship the male chased the female 

 continually round the trees near the nesting-site, and once I 

 noticed him quivering his Mings when near the female. Coition 

 took place twice on the stum]) above the nesting-hole : during 

 the act the male .spread his tail out. Innnediately after the 

 second occasion, the male stood on the stump a little behind 

 the female, and turned his beak towards her : she craned 

 her head round until lici- licak touched his. Both male 

 and female uttered a low, chiding note, like a Starling's, 

 but harsher and louder : sometimes a iroisier cry. like an 

 angry Mistle-Thi'ush's. 



It is also dis])uted whether the (IrnininiMg iioti' may he 

 heard at all times of the year. On December 1st. 1912, a 

 cold morning with snow on the ground. I heard and saw 

 a female Great Spotted Woodpecker drunniiing at Alderley, 

 Cheshire. I carefully noted that thrn^ was no red patch 

 on the back of the bird's head. I]. W. Hkndv. 



BREEDING HA 1 5ITS OF THE LONG-EAR i:i) OWJ. 

 IN SCOTLAND. 



In .Mr. .1. II. (iurucys interesting ])apcr on the Long-eared 

 Owl {A.^io o. 0///.S). he remarks {antra. ]>. 5S) that this liird 



