INSESSOKES. 107 



possession of the latter, and lie watched them for 

 some little time before making his presence known. 

 He then shot two, which proved to be male and 

 female. 



In the spring of 1862 a nest of this species, con- 

 taining four young birds, was found in an oak in the 

 lane leading from Edgeware Toll-bar to the Hale ; 

 and in October of the same year, a Great Spotted 

 Woodpecker was observed upon an old willow near 

 the brook at Forty Farm in this parish. I have 

 more recently noticed this species in Wembley 

 Park. 



MIDDLE SPOTTED WOODPECKER, Picus medius* 

 Temm. I have inserted this species in my Cata- 

 logue on the authority of Mr. Spencer. Having 

 spent more than thirty years among birds, and 

 having had many opportunities of studying the 



* The Kev. L. Jenyns, in his ' Manual of British Verte- 

 brates/ says : " The Middle Spotted Woodpecker of Montagu 

 and other English authors is only the young of this species 

 (P. major). The Picus medius of Temminck is distinct, but 

 not hitherto found in this country." 



Mr. St. John, however, in his ' Natural History of the 

 Highlands,' says (p. 76) : " Amongst the rare feathered 

 visitors to these woods I forgot to mention the Spotted 

 Woodpecker, Picus medius, which bird I killed in Inver- 

 nesshire. I was attracted to the spot where he was clinging 

 to the topmost shoot of a larch-tree, by hearing his strange, 

 harsh cry." 



