356 GREEN WOODPECKER. 



believe that it seldom extends beyond the line of 

 Yorkshire. In Scotland we have never seen it, 

 and know of no authentic specimen, while in 

 Mr Thompson's notes it is not enumerated. The 

 scream or cry of the Green Woodpecker, when 

 heard for the first time, in a retired place or 

 lonely wood, the bird being unseen, strikes the 

 hearer as most remarkable and startling. The 

 tone and expression is not to be explained by 

 words, and can only be felt by hearing ; and it 

 appears to be uttered on alarm, or on hearing 

 any noise, often without the person being able to 

 catch a glimpse of the bird. We have seen this 

 bird both in England and on the Continent, and 

 it appears to frequent woods where there is a 

 less proportion of tall wood than any of the 

 preceding birds, climbing among the bushes ; we 

 have also seen it among strong hedges, and once 

 or twice in whin covers, where it had been appa- 

 rently searching for food on the ground. This, 

 we know, is an occasional habit of the bird, when 

 hunting for ants and their larvae, a favourite food, 

 sought for on the hillocks or nests, and on old 

 turf fences. The flight is low and undulating, 

 and the call is often repeated in passing from one 

 station to another. 



This species is said to be generally distributed 

 over Europe ; but we are not aware of its range 

 being extended farther, the form being represented 

 in alpine India by several other beautifa! buc 

 closely allied species. 



