358 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



WOODPECKER, GREEN. 



Description of Parent Bii'ch. — Length about 

 thirteen inches. Beak rather long, strong, and 

 dusky in colour. Irides greyish-white. Crown, 

 crimson ; neck, back, lesser wing-coverts, and 

 scapulars green ; rump yellow ; upper tail-coverts 

 yellow, tinged with green in parts. Wing-quills 

 dusky, barred and spotted with buffish-white, some 

 of the lesser being margined with olive-green. 

 Tail-quills dusky, barred with greyish-brown, some 

 of them being margined with green. From the 

 base of the beak, round and behind the eyes, the 

 feathers are black. A crimson streak, bordered 

 with black, runs from the gape some little way 

 down the sides of the neck. Chin, throat, breast, 

 and all under-parts pale greyish-green. Legs, toes, 

 and claws ash-colour. The toes are disposed, two 

 in front and two behind, and claws hooked. 



The female has less crimson on her crown, and 

 none at all from the gape down the sides of the 

 neck, which is black. 



Situation and Locality. — In holes in trees, 

 generally dug by the bird's own exertions, those 

 composed of soft wood being preferred. The hole 

 is from ten to eighteen inches deep. It breeds in 

 suitably wooded localities nearly all over England, 

 but is least numerous in the northern counties, and 

 does not breed in either Scotland or Ireland. 



Materials. — Only the chips and bits of decayed 

 wood, detached in hewing the nesting-place. 



Eggs. — Five to seven, sometimes eight, pure 

 white, unspotted, and glossy. Size about 1-8 by 

 •92 in. Distinguished by large size and appearance 

 of parent birds. 



