PICUS VIRIDUS. 493 



genus. It sometimes feeds on fruit in orchards, grain, and nuts, 

 but its home is the woods. In the courting season it emits a 

 singularly loud and harsh cry, like the laugh of the laughing 

 gull, which, when suddenly heard in a lone wood, seems as if 

 the discordant laughter was transferred from the sea to wander 

 like a maniac in the wood, which, in his " Princess," Tennyson 

 portrays — 



" And Lilia woke with sudden-shrilling mirth, 

 An echo like a ghostly woodpecker 

 Hid in the ruins ;" 



for which it is called the " yaffer" and " rain-pie," as it is 

 heard most during rain. This laugh is like " plui, plui, plui," 

 quickly repeated. In searching the trees it alights on the trunk 

 instead of the branches, like other birds, and ascends in a 

 vertical or spiral direction, rapidly tapping with its bill as it 

 proceeds, at once detecting a hollow part. It seldom descends 

 the tree, as its construction is against it. If it does, it moves 

 backwards like a crab. It often taps with such rapidity that its 

 head can hardly be seen moving. In a still wood the tapping can 

 be heard half a mile away. Its strong wedge-like bill penetrates 

 into the very nest of the larvae, while its long, worm-shaped, 

 extensile tongue extracts the smallest insects from the crevices 

 of the rotten bark, as this singular instrument (in addition to 

 the glutinous matter) is armed at the point with sharp, 

 reflected bristles, like the barbs of an arrow, to prevent their 

 escape. Like its congeners, it flies in jerks, is active and lively, 

 and pops from tree to tree with great ease, for which (along 

 with its gaudy green and yellow plumage) it was called the 

 " popinjay" and its likeness selected for that old game. When 

 flying to some distance its flight is undulating, like most small 

 birds — the longest undulation before it alights. On August 

 26th, 1887, one was shot at Feddinch, three miles from here; 

 and in March 1888 two were shot at Cambo, two at Gilston, and 

 one at St Fort woods. It is 13 J inches long by 21 inches. 



