WOODPECKERS. H3 



1. List of Woodpeckers. 



In Central Europe the following species of woodpeckers are 

 found : 



Black woodpecker (Picus martius, L.). 

 Greater spotted woodpecker (Dendrocopus major, Koch). 

 Intermediate spotted woodpecker (D. medius, Koch). 

 Lesser spotted woodpecker (D. minor, Koch). 

 White-backed woodpecker (D. leuconatus, Bchst.). 

 Three-toed woodpecker (Apternus tridactylus, Gould). 

 Grey woodpecker (Picus canus, Gmel.). 

 Green woodpecker (Picus viridis, L.). 



The two last species are termed ground-woodpeckers. Of 

 these the green woodpecker is the commonest in Britain, and 

 D. major and minor also occur. Nos. 2, 3, and 7 are said to 

 be commonest near Giessen, where Hess resides. 



2. Opinions of various Authors. 



Opinions regarding the utility or otherwise of woodpeckers 

 from a forestry point of view have varied from time to 

 time. Towards the end of the eighteenth century they were 

 considered hurtful by pecking holes into trees which were 

 sometimes sound ones. 



In Beckmann's"Handbuch der Jagdwissenschaft," published 

 at Nuremberg in 1802, this opinion was adopted, and in conse- 

 quence a reward of 2d. per head was offered in Germany for 

 their destruction. Bechstein was the first, in 1802, to consider 

 them useful, and Walther in 1803 ; also Gloger about 1860. 

 Foresters then went to the other extreme, considering wood- 

 peckers as extremely active in destroying insects, and ignoring 

 their propensity for making holes in trees. Altum in his " Forst- 

 zoologie" reverted to the former opinion, stating that wood- 

 peckers were practically useless against dangerous bark-beetles, 

 but attacked the larger and less important longicorn-beetles, 

 and that they themselves did considerable damage to trees. 



Altum wished, however, to protect woodpeckers on aesthetic 

 grounds, because they enliven the forest and please the eye. 

 Judeich follows Altum's views to a certain extent. Konig, 



