The Avifauna. gy 



had long been in the habit of flying at boys and 

 grown-up people, but had never interfered with helpless 

 children. One day, however, he flew at a child, and 

 on the little fellow falling forward, he pecked the back 

 of his head till the piteous screams brought the 

 mother to the rescue. Such conduct could not be 

 tolerated, and "Jacky," as already said, was con- 

 demned to suffer capital punishment. Hearing of the 

 circumstance, we interceded on his behalf, with the 

 result that his sentence was commuted to a couple of 

 months' imprisonment in a cage. Whether his con- 

 finement had a beneficial effect, or whether, as he 

 grows older, he is becoming endowed with more sense, 

 we are unable to state, but he has now given up 

 attacking children unless to defend himself when 

 molested by them. 



The Great Spotted Woodpecker we have seen 

 at Niddrie, in the policies of Duddingston, and at The 

 Inch. At the latter place one remained for a long 

 time in the summer of i8go. It is most interesting 

 to watch the habits of this bird. After choosing a 

 suitable cleft between two branches, it pecks a hole 



