118 THE NATURALIST IN NORWAY. 



wandered about the world in the shape of a bird, seek- 

 ing her daily food from wood to wood, and from tree 

 to tree. The red patch on the woodpecker's poll is 

 supposed to be typical of the red nightcap that Ger- 

 trude always wore on her head. The Norwegian pea- 

 sants are very much afraid of this bird, and give it a 

 wide berth if they come across it in the woods. 



The green woodpecker (Picus viridis) is pretty com- 

 mon in Norway as far north as Nordland. When the 

 peasants hear the cry of the gronspet, as they call this 

 bird, they say it is a sign of coming rain; in fact, 

 they even declare that the green woodpecker foretells 

 the approach of rainy weather several days before it 

 comes. 



The gray-headed green woodpecker (P. canus or P. 

 viridis Norwegicus), called in Norway lille gronspet, or 

 little green woodpecker. It is smaller in size than 

 the preceding species ; its head is gray tinged with 

 black, and with a red mark ; back green ; tail black ; 

 under parts gray. It is rather a rare bird in this 

 country, but is frequently seen in the environs of Chris- 

 tiania in autumn and winter. 



The white-backed woodpecker (P. leuconotus), called 

 in Norway hvid-rygget, or white-backed. It is often 

 seen during the summer months in Hedemarken and 

 Gudbrandsdalen ; the contrast between the black, white, 

 and pink colours of this bird, give it a very pretty 

 appearance. 



The great spotted woodpecker (P. major) is to be 

 found in Norwegian Lapland. It is said in Norway 

 that this bird opens the pine cones with its beak, to 

 get at the seeds ; the female sits very closely on her 



