268 



THE BIRDS OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE 



seen on the ground, although we have seen it more 

 than once engaged upon an ant-hill, and it is cer- 

 tainly more addicted to fruit than that species. 

 With reference to the loud jarring noise produced 

 by some of this family of birds, as it has only once 

 happened to us to see the present species in the act 

 of producing it, we propose to treat of it in the next 

 article. 



Gt-reater Spotted "Woodpecker. 



Though two or three, perhaps more, pairs of this 

 species undoubtedly breed annually within a radius 

 of three miles from this house, we can only call to 

 mind three instances of the finding of occupied 

 nesting-holes therein. The latest of these discoveries 

 was made by one of our gamekeepers on July 17th, 

 1883 ; the hole was in an oak tree at about 30 feet 

 from the ground, and contained three well-feathered 



