picnxaE. 253 



that he has frequently met with the present species 

 in Berkshire, Somersetshire and Wiltshire, but never 

 with the Greater. Montagu, on the other hand, 

 asserts that the present species is the most rare of 

 all the Woodpeckers, and Yarrell says that it is 

 considered to be the more rare. I certainly agree 

 with Mr. Morres, and consider this much the most 

 common, us I not only frequently see it about alive, 

 but I have also met with it much more commonly, 

 both in the flesh and stuffed, at various birdstuffers' 

 shops and in collections. It is resident with us all 

 the year. 



Both in food and habits it much resembles the 

 two last-mentioned species, except that I think it is 

 rather less given to climbing, as I have often seen it 

 perching in the ordinary way on some small twig, 

 and that very often the topmost one, of some small 

 tree or bush. 



The food of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker con- 

 sists mostly, if not entirely, of insects ; Meyer says 

 entirely, nothing being found in its stomach, either 

 in summer or winter, but spiders, beetles, ants or 

 their larvae. Like the other Woodpeckers it seeks 

 its food in the crevices of the bark of trees, search- 

 ing, however, the branches rather than the trunk : it 

 looks for food on the ground and amongst long 

 grass. 



The nest, if such it can be called, is always placed 

 in a hole in a tree, at the bottom of which the 



