SCAXSORES. BIRDS. PICIDJE. 



lodging. His note is described as loud and trumpet- 

 like ; but when captured, he emits a reiterated cry 

 exactly resembling that of a child. The head and bill 

 of this bird are said by Wilson to have been in his time 

 in great esteem among the Indians as a charm. 



THE GREEN WOODPECKEE (Gednusviridis). This 

 species is the most abundant of the British Wood- 

 peckers, and is found in most of the wooded districts 

 both of England and Scotland ; it also occurs in almost 

 all parts of Europe. It is about thirteen inches in 

 length, and is of a dark yellowish-green colour above, 

 and ashy-green below ; the crown and back of the head 

 are scarlet; a black moustache-like streak, with a 

 scarlet patch along its middle, runs backwards from 

 the base of the lower mandible on each side ; the rump, 

 and upper tail-coverts, are sulphur-yellow; and the 

 quill-feathers, both of the wings and tail, are grayish- 

 black, more or less distinctly spotted or banded with 

 white. 



In searching the bark of trees for insects, the Green 

 Woodpecker usually starts from near the bottom of 

 the trunk, and thence advances upwards, tapping on 

 the bark to dislodge the insects concealed in its cre- 

 vices, and digging into any decayed or hollow parts, 

 to capture the concealed larvae. On reaching the top 

 of the tree, it does not descend it again, but flies off, 

 usually to another tree. One portion of the food of 

 this bird consists of ants, and their larvae and pupae, in 

 pursuit of which it frequently visits the ground ; and 

 Mr. Yarrell states, that he had seldom seen a newly 

 killed specimen, which had not some earth adhering 

 to the base of the bill, indicating that it had been plun- 

 dering an ant-hill. 



Like the other Woodpeckers, this species breeds in 

 the holes of trees, and in excavating or enlarging these, 

 it is said to carry away the chips to a distance in order 

 to prevent their betraying the position of the nest. The 

 eggs are from five to seven in number. The note of 

 this bird is loud, and is compared to a laugh ; it is said 

 to be most frequently heard before rain, and hence in 

 some places, the bird has received the name of the 

 Rain-bird. There is a considerable number of species 

 nearly allied to this, inhabiting most parts of both 

 hemispheres. 



THE YELIOW-BACKED WOODPECKEE (Brachy- 

 pternus aurantius), an inhabitant of India and Ceylon, 

 is about eight inches in length, and of a black colour 

 above, with the top of the head spotted with white ; 

 the crest, the middle of the back, and part of the wing- 

 coverts orange; and the wings brown, mottled with 

 white. The lower surface is brownish-white, with 

 brown markings. This bird, with some allied Indian 

 species, is remarkable for the structure of its feet, the 

 inner hind toe being of very small size, and provided 

 only with a weak claw. It is common in the vicinity 

 of Calcutta, where it breeds in the holes of trees. In 

 Ceylon it frequents the Palmyra topes, excavating large 

 holes in the trunks of the male trees, which are softer 

 than those of the females. 



THE TIGA WOODPECKEE (Chrysonotus Tiga). In 

 this, and several allied Indian species, the feet have 

 only three toes, the inner hind toe, which was rudimen- 

 tary in the last mentioned species, being here entirely 



deficient. In other respects, these birds agree closely 

 with the Yellow -backed Woodpecker. 



THE EED- HEADED WOODPECKEE (Melanerpes 

 erythroceph(dus}. r S\a? > bird, which may be taken as the 

 type of a subordinate group of Woodpeckers peculiar 

 to America, is an inhabitant of the United States and 

 Canada, performing a southward migration from its 

 most northern haunts, at the approach of winter. Its 

 length is between nine and ten inches ; its head and 

 neck are deep scarlet ; the greater part of the upper 

 surface is black, with a bluish gloss ; but the rump, and 

 lower part of the back, and the secondary feathers are 

 white, as is also the entire lower surface. 



This bird, like the rest of his family, frequents woods 

 and orchards, and feeds principally upon the insects 

 which he dislodges from their retreats in or under the 

 bark. As he is an abundant bird, and incessantly 

 engaged in the destruction of these secret foes to 

 vegetation, the services which he renders to man in 

 preserving trees are very great; nevertheless, as he 

 has a taste for fruit, and a remarkable discrimination 

 in selecting the best sorts, he has been regarded, in 

 common with most of his relatives, as a nuisance, and 

 in former times the legislatures of some of the states 

 offered a premium of twopence per head for the destruc- 

 tion of Woodpeckers. Ripe cherries are great favourites 

 with him, as are also pears and apples ; if disturbed 

 when regaling himself upon the latter, " he seizes a 

 capital one by striking his open bill deep into it, and bears 

 it off to the woods." He also attacks the Indian corn 

 when in its milky state. Like the other members of 

 this family, the Red-headed Woodpecker deposits its 

 eggs in a hole of the trunk, or some large limb of a 

 tree. The eggs, which are six in number, are white, 

 with a few reddish spots. The black snake frequently 

 invades the nest of the woodpecker, and devours its 

 eggs and young, in spite of the clamour of the parent 

 birds. After feasting in this way, the reptile will fre- 

 quently coil himself up in the place of his victims, and 

 sometimes remain there for several days, causing the 

 most intense alarm to the unlucky schoolboy, who, 

 on attempting to plunder the nest, finds that another 

 robber has been before him. 



THE COLLAEED WOODPECKEE (Melanopicus torqua- 

 tus), another inhabitant of the United States, is nearly 

 a foot in length ; its plumage is black, with a greenish 

 gloss above ; the forehead, cheeks, and chin are deep 

 red; round the neck there is a white collar, which 

 spreads over the breast ; the abdomen is deep scarlet, 

 and the vent black. In its general habits it agrees 

 with the preceding species. 



THE EED-BELLIED WOODPECKEE (Centura* caro- 

 linus) is found in all parts of the United States and 

 even in Canada ; it is also said to be a native of some 

 of the West Indian islands. It has the forehead yellow, 

 the upper part of the head and neck golden red, the 

 cheeks and throat buff, and the lower surface yellowish- 

 ash, tinged with blood-red on the belly. The back is 

 black, with transverse white lines ; the wings and tail 

 black, beautifully barred with white ; and the rump and 

 tail coverts are white. The length of this bird is about 

 ten inches. In its habits it resembles the preceding spe- 

 cies, running about on the trunks and branches of trees, 



