82 GEEAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER. 



upon rails, old posts, and decayed pollards, where, among the 

 moss and vegetable matter, they find a plentiful harvest of 

 spiders, ants, and other insects; nor are they free from the 

 charge of plundering the fruit trees of the garden, and, in 

 fact, commit great havoc among cherries, plums, and wall fruit 

 in general.' They alarm the insects from their recesses by 

 the noise made with their bills upon the trees, which is audible 

 at the distance of half a mile. Meyer says that they do not 

 eat ants; but he adds the eggs of insects, nuts, the seeds of 

 fir-cones, and other seeds to the above bill of fare; and he 

 also remarks, though I own I cannot think it a circumstance 

 of very common occurrence, 'the jealousy of this bird leads 

 it into danger, as it is sure to take notice if any one taps 

 against a tree; and approaches sometimes near enough to be 

 caught with the hand. 



In the spring, these birds produce a like jarring noise to 

 that made by the Green Woodpecker; and their note is ex- 

 pressed by Meyer by the syllables 'gich,' and 'kirr,' uttered 

 only once at a time, at long intervals; perched, when wooing, 

 at the top of a tree. 



About the end of March, or beginning of April, the nidi- 

 fication of these birds commences. 



No nest is formed; the eggs are laid on the dust that 

 lodges at the bottom of the hole, at a depth of six or seven 

 inches, but sometimes as much as two feet from the orifice. 

 A pine tree seems to be preferred, but the oak and others 

 are also made available; a pre-existing hole being adapted to 

 their wants, or if there be none such, a new one is scooped 

 out of the most unsound part of the tree. There is frequently 

 a second hole, which facilitates the escape of the bird in case 

 of danger. 



The eggs are four or five in number, white and glossy, and 

 are hatched after an incubation of fifteen or sixteen days. 



Male; weight, about two ounces and three quarters; length, 

 about nine inches and a half; bill, dark shining horn-colour; 

 from its base proceeds a streak of black towards the nape, 

 from the middle of which another passes down each side of 

 the neck, meeting upon the upper part of the breast, where 

 it forms a half-moon-shaped patch. Iris, purple red. The 

 eye is surrounded by a dull white ring ; a few bristly feathers 

 project about the base of the bill; forehead, buff or rusty 

 yellowish white, black behind it; head on the back, bright 

 scarlet; crown, dark bluish black; on the back part of the 



