82 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER. 
upon rails, old posts, and decayed pollards, where, among the 
moss and vegetable matter, they find a plentiful harvest of 
spiders, ants, and other insects; nor are they free from the 
charge of plundering the fruit trees of the garden, and, in 
fact, commit great havoc among cherries, plums, and wall fruit 
in general.’ They alarm the insects from their recesses by 
the noise made with their bills upon the trees, which is audible 
at the distance of half a mile. Meyer says that they do not 
eat ants; but he adds the eggs of insects, nuts, the seeds of 
fir-cones, and other seeds to the above bill of fare; and he 
also remarks, though I own I cannot think it a circumstance 
of very common occurrence, ‘the jealousy of this bird leads 
it into danger, as it is sure to take notice if any one taps 
against a tree; and approaches sometimes near enough to be 
caught with the hand. 
In the spring, these birds produce a like jarring noise to 
that made by the Green Woodpecker; and their note is ex- 
pressed by Meyer by the syllables ‘gich,’ and ‘kirr,’ uttered 
only once at a time, at long intervals; perched, when wooing, 
at the top of a tree. 
About the end of March, or beginning of April, the nidi- 
fication of these birds commences. 
No nest is formed; the eggs are laid on the dust that 
lodges at the bottom of the hole, at a depth of six or seven 
inches, but sometimes as much as two feet from the orifice. 
A pine tree seems to be preferred, but the oak and others 
are also made available; a pre-existing hole being adapted to 
their wants, or if there be none such, a new one is scooped 
out of the most unsound part of the tree. There is frequently 
a second hole, which facilitates the escape of the bird in case 
of danger. 
The eggs are four or five in number, white and glossy, and 
are hatched after an incubation of fifteen or sixteen days. 
Male; weight, about two ounces and three quarters; length, 
about nine inches and a half; bill, dark shinmg horn-colour; 
from its base proceeds a streak of black towards the nape, 
from the middle of which another passes down each side of 
the neck, meeting upon the upper part of the breast, where 
it forms a half-moon-shaped patch. Iris, purple red. The 
eye is surrounded by a dull white ring; a few bristly feathers 
project about the base of the bill; forehead, buff or rusty 
yellowish white, black behind it; head on the back, bright 
scarlet; crown, dark bluish black; on the back part of the 
