48 On the Ornithology of Wilts [Picidce]. 



mentions how he observed it in Wiltshire, and found its nest and 

 took its eggs there. Yarrell speaks of "Wiltshire as one of its 

 habitations, in addition to which I have notices of its having been 

 killed within the last {evf years at Potterne, Roundway, Devizes, 

 Clarendon Park and Draycot Woods ; and Mr. Elgar Sloper says, 

 " I have obtained three specimens of this beautiful little bird : one 

 caught near Devizes in June 1840 lived for some time in confine- 

 ment, fed on insects and bread and milk." 



Bewick used to assert that a third Spotted Woodpecker (Picus 

 medius) which is not uncommon on the Continent, occasionally 

 appeared in England : more modern naturalists however deny this, 

 and affirm that the young of the Great Spotted Woodpecker was 

 mistaken for that bird. The late Mr. Marsh thought that Bewick 

 was right, and that we have three distinct species : he says, " I 

 have three very different from each other, they are sometimes 

 found in Draycote Woods, where one of my specimens was shot : 

 the largest was killed there ; the next in size was killed in Claren- 

 don Park, the smallest in Amesbur}^ Park." 



" Gold-winged Woodpecker " (Picus auratus) . There is but one 

 instance recorded of the appearanoe of this beautiful bird in 

 England, and that was in the autumn of 1836 at Amesbury Park 

 in this county : it was brought to M. H. Marsh, Esq., the present 

 Member for Salisbury, in the flesh, immediately after it was shot : 

 it was preserved by Mr. Edwards, of Amesbur}', and came into the 

 collection of the late Rev. G. Marsh, of Sutton Benger. It is a 

 native of South America, and in general appearance and size bears 

 some resemblance to the common Green Woodpecker, but differs 

 from it in having bright yellow bars on the wings, and black spots 

 on the breast, moreover the throat and chest are cinnamon colour, 

 and a broad cresentic patch of black crosses the chest. 



" Wryneck" (Yunx torquilla). From the variety of provincial 

 names with which this prettily marked bird is designated, one 

 would imagine it to be extremely common : but this is not the case, 

 though it visits us in the spring every year, and is sparingly dis- 

 tributed over all wooded districts. The explanation of its many 

 names will be a tolerably complete account of its habits. That by 



