GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER. 275 



Though in no part an abundant species, it breeds in most 

 districts where suitable conditions are found, except in the 

 vicinity of the large manufacturing towns, the East Riding 

 Wolds, and the moorland tracts. The bird is extremely partial 

 to the woods of old parks and timber of ancient growth, and 

 in some of the dales is met with at a considerable elevation, 

 but does not remain after the nesting season. In the Central 

 Plain, the Western Ainsty, and the Harrogate neighbourhood 

 it is more frequently reported than from any other locality, 

 though it is to be feared that the felling of old timber has 

 led to its decrease in some parts where it was formerly not 

 uncommon ; it has increased within the past few years in 

 the Wilsden district. 



On the seaboard during the autumn migration this Wood- 

 pecker is of almost annual occurrence, and is observed from 

 September to November. It is, however, referred to only 

 once in the British Association Migration Reports, " At 

 Spurn, 27th October 1880" (Second Report). At that 

 promontory they land on the sandhills, and, as there are no 

 trees, they spend their short stay there in running up the 

 pieces of drift wood used as fencing. They were numerous 

 on the coast in 1886, and also in 1889 ; in the latter year at 

 most of the stations between Spurn and Teesmouth. Two 

 were seen in October in the fishermen's gardens at Redcar, 

 and this influx was coincident with a great migration over 

 Heligoland, where, according to the late Herr Gatke, " more 

 were seen than ever before." Near Beverley, in 1898, the 

 bird was more than usually common, upwards of a dozen 

 being reported, and in the winter of 1901-2 a large migratory 

 flight appeared in Cleveland ; my taxidermist, G. Mussell, 

 informed me he had more in to preserve during that winter 

 than in all his past experience, extending over fifty years. 

 Two examples were seen close to Middlesbrough Park, one 

 of which was captured and brought to me for identification. 



In the Beverley district the Great Spotted Woodpecker 

 has been noticed to excavate holes in rotton trees in which 

 to sleep, and it feeds on the larvae of Sesia apiformis, the 

 Poplar Clearwing Moth ; below the poplar trees may often 



