THE BIRDS OF COOKHAM AND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD. 177 
fir trees, clinging to the tree with both feet. It was full grown, 
evidently, but in the dark mottled plumage of the young bird. 
Fam. Piciwz. 
Sub-fam. Pictnz. 
Picus. 
21. Picus major. The Great Spotted Woodpecker. 
This handsome bird is often heard round Formosa, and 
especially on the elm trees in Lady Young’s grounds adjoining. 
It breeds in Cliefden Woods, and towards the end of August 
and the beginning of September, both the Larger and Lesser 
Spotted Woodpeckers descend to the gardens at Formosa from 
the opposite woods, to feed upon the American blight, as Mr. 
Briggs calls it, which is then in such abundance on cankered 
apple trees. Its note may well be represented by the words 
quick, quick. 
22. Picus minor. The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. 
Most of my readers, no doubt, possess, or have seen, a copy 
of Mr. Gould’s magnificent work on the Birds of Great Britain. 
Tn Part III. will be noticed a beautiful illustration of the present 
and last named species. This pretty little Woodpecker is by 
no means rare at Cookham, and in the above work the author - 
justly acknowledges the assistance of Mr. Briggs in procuring 
for him both birds and eggs. As P. major frequents the elm 
trees, so does P. minor the poplar, and it has reared its young at 
Formosa for several successive seasons. The enormous height at 
which the bird builds successfully prevents any rash attempt at 
procuring its eggs, and at present I am content with a pair of 
birds and a portion of the branch containing the hole in which 
the birds bred last year. They always select the very rottenest 
branches, and the piece in my possession was blown off in one of 
_ the severe gales last year. Mr. Briggs is one of the most 
__ expert climbers I ever saw, and few men would haye had the 
nerve to-mount to the dizzy height at which he procured 
the nest for Mr. Gould. ‘The longest ladder in the village 
_ was fetched, but it did not reach one third of the distance 
_ to the hole, and the tree was most difficult to climb, 
Nothing daunted, however, he mounted up, with a saw in 
