THE PIED WOODPECKERS. 13 



neck white, the ear-coverts light brown ; a black moustachial 

 stripe running up behind the ear-coverts, and widening on 

 the sides of the neck ; under surface of body brownish-white, 

 clearer white on the throat ; sides of body with narrow streaks 

 of black, the streaks taking the form of arrow-head spots on 

 the under tail-coverts ; under wing-coverts and axillaries white, 

 with a few dusky spots; "bill, legs, and feet dark slate-grey ; 

 iris reddish-brown " (If. Seebohm). Total length, 5 '8 inches: 

 oilmen, 075; wing, 3'6 ; tail, 2-4 ; tarsus, o'6. 



Adult Female. Similar to the male, but without any red on 

 the crown, the forehead and fore-part of the latter being 

 buffy-white. Total length, 5-8 inches ; wing, 3-6. 



Young. Similar to the adults, but more dingy and sooty- 

 brown above ; no brown colour on the base of the forehead ; 

 only the centre of the crown crimson, the feathers being dingy- 

 white at the base. 



Range in Great Britain. Inhabits nearly the same districts as 

 the Great Spotted Woodpecker, and is in many parts of the 

 south of England the most plentiful of the three species of 

 Woodpecker indigenous to this country. Lord Lilford says 

 the same with regard to Northamptonshire. Northwards it be- 

 comes rarer, and is local and not plentiful in Yorkshire. In 

 the old park-lands of the Thames Valley it is frequently to be 

 noted, and it is even a bird of the London district, for I have 

 seen a specimen killed in Kensington Gardens, and the species 

 is frequently to be seen near Ghiswick. It visits some elm- 

 trees in my own garden, and can be seen and heard on almost 

 any winter's afternoon in the grounds of the " Chiswick Golf 

 Club." 



In Scotland and Ireland the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 

 has only occasionally been noted, but Mr. Robert Service has 

 given to Mr. Howard Saunders notice of its capture on three 

 occasions in the Solway district. 



Range outside the British Islands. The present species is 

 generally distributed throughout Europe, but is decidedly 

 less frequent in the south, though it is found in Algeria and 

 is a resident in the Azores. In Scandinavia it breeds as far 

 as 70 N. lat., and in Russia it is to be found as far north as 

 Archangel and to about 67 N. lat. on the Petchora and the 



