44 THE BIRDS OF BERKS AND BUCKS. 



legist, who has favoured me with many notes, wrote 

 me word that he has only once seen it at Drayton 

 Beauchamp. 



This bird's tongue is remarkably suited to its mode 

 of living, and on this subject the reader would do 

 well to consult vol. ii. pp. 138, 139, of Mr. Yarrell's 

 admirable work on British Birds. 



GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER (Picus major). 

 Local names, Black and White or Striped Wood- 

 pecker, Pick-a-tree. Not a very numerous species, 

 and chiefly inhabiting parks, forests, and woods, 

 seldom being observed in open and exposed situa- 

 tions. It is fairly common in Ditton and Windsor 

 Parks, and I have seen a pair sitting on a row of 

 posts near some ornamental water in the first-men- 

 tioned park, close to each other, and making their 

 peculiar sound. A gentleman mentioned in the 

 Zoologist, a few years back, that he had observed 

 one of these birds frequenting his little garden, in 

 the heart of the town of Reading, for several Sundays 

 running. In Cookham, Taplow, Hedsor, and Clief- 

 den woods, a few may still be seen ; also in the Eton 

 College playing-fields it occurs rarely. Burnham 

 Beeches is a favourite resort, and in the vicinity 

 of Chesham it is sometimes observed. 



LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER (Picus minor). 

 Local names, Lesser-barred Woodpecker, Little Spotted 

 Woodpecker, Black-and-white Woodpecker, and Pick-a- 

 tree. Resident throughout the year, and fairly 



