104 BIRDS OF LANCASHIRE. 



FAMILY PICID^.— SUBFAMILY PICIN^. 

 GENUS DENDROCOPUS. 



GEEAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER. 



Dendrocopus major (Linnaeus). 



A resident species, occurring at times in most of the 

 thickly-wooded districts, and breeding regularly in some 

 few. Byerley states that it is seen at Ormskirk and 

 Knowsley, and it has been killed in almost all the woods 

 round Manchester, having bred regularly near Middle- 

 ton, according to Dr. Kershaw, up to 1875. A good 

 many years ago a brood of young was taken in "Witton 

 Park, near Blackburn, and these are still in Gen. 

 Feilden's possession. Mr. W. Naylor informs me that 

 it used to occur at Clerk Hill, Whalley, and at Hunt- 

 royde, and Mr. H. Miller saw a nest of young near 

 Whalley, on June 22nd, 1879, which were allowed to fly. 

 The hole was in a decayed tree, and was more oval than 

 round. In Mr. Cross's woods at Piedscar it has bred for 

 many years, and Mr. R. J, Howard tells me that in 

 1883 the young were duly hatched from a nest, and that 

 in April 1884 the birds were frequenting their last year's 

 nesting-place. [Mr. Pi. J. Howard writes : "On May 

 12th, 1885, I found newly-drilled holes in a decayed ash 

 near the river Pioddlesworth, and on the 25th of same 

 month I saw both old birds feeding their young at the 

 nest-hole. From this date they nested yearly in the 

 same tree, but on the 17th November, 1888, the ash 

 was blown down, and although the birds are often seen, 

 and I have found holes in several trees in Witton Park, 

 I possess no evidence that they have bred in the imme- 



