266 THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



found by us, nor had the Starling laid any of her own, 

 though her nest was apparently quite ready for their 

 reception. The Green Woodpecker appears often to 

 pass the nights of autumn and winter in its nesting- 

 holes, and may occasionally be found therein at those 

 seasons even in the daytime. We believe that in 

 this county the bird is known by no other name than 

 Woodpecker; but "Yaffil" or "Yaffle" is often 

 applied to it in some of our southern counties, a 

 nickname derived, no doubt, from its ordinary call, 

 besides which note the bird has a variety of cries, for 

 the most part harsh and discordant. This Wood- 

 pecker is, according to Yarrell, found more or less 

 commonly throughout England, is uncommon in 

 Scotland, and exceedingly rare in Ireland. We have 

 met with this bird in abundance in Northern Germany, 

 France, and Italy ; but in Spain it is represented by 

 a nearly allied and very closely resembling race, 

 Gecinus sharpii of H. Saunders. 



The young of this species may be kept alive in 

 confinement, but require great care and attention and 

 a variety of diet : insect food is absolutely essential 

 to their health during their progress towards maturity, 

 and we have found it difficult to make them take to 

 any other ; but finely chopped or scraped raw beef 

 with soaked bread, crushed hemp-seed, and filberts 

 will sometimes induce them by degrees to acquii'e a 

 taste for fruit of various sorts. They become exceed- 

 ingly tame, and are, from their quaint manners and 

 attitudes, interesting inmates of an aviary. The 

 ordinary laughing cry of this species when uttered 

 more frequently or vigorously than usual was, it 

 seems, taken as an indication of coming rain, and 

 gained for the Woodpecker the name of " Rain-bird " 



