146 THE BIRDS OF SHERWOOD FOREST. 
several yards of its length, and then flown off to the 
trunk, and resumed its course upwards. This motion, 
which was performed without a break, had a very singular 
appearance. 
Thoresby Park is a favourite habitat of this species ; 
there, from a large crab tree, I once roused three 
together ; they uttered a short, sharp cry, as they usually 
do when disturbed, and flew off to a clump of large 
Scotch firs at a little distance—two of them, by the red 
occiput, being evidently males. In that part of the park 
known as the Old Wood, I have méfwith them more 
frequently than in any other, but seldom with more than 
one at a time; I have also seen them in Birkland. 
They are not such exclusive insect feeders as the pre- 
ceding species, but vary their diet with the seeds of 
various trees, especially those of the pine. 
The lesser Spotted Woodpecker (P. minor) is, I 
think, more local than any of our other British species. 
I have only met with three specimens—one a male, and 
the others two females ; two were in Thoresby Park and 
one in Birkland; none of them had the shyness of the 
other two species. The male I watched especially for 
some time, while it was engaged in searching with most 
industrious agility the branches of a very large silver 
willow. It seemed little alarmed at my presence, but 
at length took wing to some trees at a short distance, 
repeating its cry several times in a shrill tone. 
I have only met with the Wryneck (Yuna torquilla) 
a few times. It is well known by our country people as 
the “cuckoo’s mate,’ but its shy and secluded habits 
remove it greatly from the common gaze. I have never 
seen it but in the forest, where it is attracted by the — 
same inducements as the woodpeckers—abundance of 
