BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 359 



Time. April and May. 



Remarks. Resident. Notes, several, which have 

 been represented as follows : male spring note, 

 tiacacan, tiacacan ; call, used all the year round, 

 pleu, pleu, pleu. Some writers represent the call 

 as yaffa, yaffa, yaffle ! Local and other names : 

 Kainbird, Popinjay, Awlbird, Yaffle, Tongue Bird, 

 Gaily, Rain-fowl, Pick-a-tree, Whetile, Woodwale, 

 Wood-speight, Yaffingale. A close sitter, often 

 occupying the same nest year after year, when not 

 stolen by Starlings. 



WOODPECKER, LESSER SPOTTED. 



Description of Parent Birds. Length about five 

 and three-quarter inches. Beak of medium length, 

 broad at the base, straight, and leaden grey in 

 colour. Irides hazel. Crown bright scarlet, sides 

 of head brownish- white. A black stripe runs from 

 the base of the beak over the eye to the nape, which 

 is black also ; another runs from the base of the 

 under mandible below the eye, and beneath the 

 ear-coverts. Back of neck and upper back black. 

 Wings black, barred and spotted with white ; middle 

 of back white, barred with black ; rump and upper 

 tail-coverts black. Tail-quills black, some of them 

 edged and tipped with white, others white, barred 

 with black. Chin, throat, and under-parts brownish- 

 white ; sides of breast and flanks streaked and slightly 

 barred with black. Legs, toes, and claws lead grey. 



The female has the crown brownish- white, occa- 

 sionally shaded with red ; black of nape commences 

 further forward, and under-parts are darker. 



Situation and Locality. In a hole, dug or 

 enlarged, in the Astern or large branch of a tree. 

 Pear and apple trees appear to be favourites. The 



