104 THE xM'T -HATCH 



nut-hatch and tlie lesser wood-pecker. The small people 

 of this family make less noise, but accomplish perhaps 

 more. They only utter now and liien low cries of appeal, 

 running along the branches and destioying numberless 

 caterpillars, larvae and eggs of various insects. 



The lesser red wood-pecker has the brightest colours. 

 Its spotted black and white ])lumage is set off by a pure 

 red spot on the top of its head. It is hardlv of the size of a 

 sparrow. Like the large witwall, it has all the distinctive 

 traits of the boldest climbers : a hard bill, a long and 

 moveable back nail; its tail feathers are rugged and strong- 

 enough to be used as a prop, wiien the bird, hanging with 

 its back downward, redoubles the clatter of its bill against 

 the boughs. It does not climb very high, but circulates 

 around the trunk of trees with marvelous agility. In the 

 fine season it builds its nest in rotten trees where damp- 

 ness has made holes in the boughs; it often has to fight for 

 these lodgings with tlie great black-headed titmouse ; this 

 latter bird, however, not being so strong as the wood- 

 pecker with its sharp bill and nails, is obliged to leave 

 the field of battle. Like the great wood-pecker, the female 

 lesser red wood-pecker lays three white eggs in this rudi- 

 mentary nest, which she patiently hatches on a bed of 

 wood-dust. These birds do not emigrate. In winter they keep 

 near habitations and like to frequent orchards, where they 

 carefully pick all the fruit-trees they can find. This ferreting 

 and picking propensity develops prudence and ingenious- 



