The Green Woodpecker. 19 



the hole above, but each chip is carried to some dis- 

 tance by the industrious bird. Thus is the nesting 

 place finished, and upon the wood-dust left at the 

 bottom of the hole by these winged carpenters, the 

 female lays her eggs. They are glistening white, and 

 from five to eight in number, and both birds take 

 their turn in sitting 011 them. 



The entrance to the nest is usually made at from 

 twenty to thirty feet from the ground, but we have 

 seen one scarcely four feet up, in which a G-reen 

 Woodpecker was sitting. Although this bird gene- 

 rally cuts out a hole for itself, it will occasionally 

 take possession of a naturally formed one, provided 

 it be dry, and of a suitable size. 



The plumage of this, our largest and commonest 

 Woodpecker, possesses a beautiful blending of 

 colours. The back is shiny olive green, shading off 

 to a bright yellow on the tail coverts ; the top of the 

 head is of a rich crimson, contrasting perfectly with 

 the green of the back, whilst the throat and breast 

 are of a light straw colour, which is sometimes 

 stained to a dark brown by the bird's contact with 

 the trunks of trees. 



The male differs from the female in the " mous- 

 tache " ; they both possess one, but while his is red, 

 hers is black ! The peculiarity which has earned for 

 itself the name " moustache," is a narrow line of 



