THE HANGING WOODPECKER. 



Mode of sleeping Food Nests. 



THE HANGING WOODPECKER. 



THIS is a very curious bird, found in Ger- 

 many, Italy, and sometimes in the southern parts 

 of France, in the months of March and April. 

 It is also called the gold merle: its whole plu- 

 mage is blue and green, beautifully intermixed 

 all over the body; it has a black beak, and a 

 black spot on each side between the bill and the 

 eyes; and the large wing-feathers of the hen are 

 blackish, with white spots at the ends. 



Pliny says, that these birds hang on the 

 branches of trees by their legs, where they sleep 

 with their heads downwards: that their food is 

 chiefly the same with the common woodpecker, 

 only these add thereto that of figs, of which they 

 are extremely fond; and that they also build 

 their nests on the extremities of the boughs of 

 large high trees, which are very curiously con- 

 trived so as to keep out the rain and the wind, 

 having only a small hole for the bird to go in 

 and out. 



Aldrovandus observes, that some or other of 

 the different species of woodpeckers are found 

 in most part of Europe; they build in hollow 

 trees, and make a very artifical nest; which if 

 taken out of the tree whole appears round, and 

 in size resembles a foot-ball. 



In the warmer regions of Guinea and Brasil,the 

 woodpecker composes his nest of a fibrous kind 

 2 B 2 



