302 SUMMER. 



so much observed in the later part of the season. As, 

 however, the cambium of the trees is longer in coming 

 to its most saccharine state in those alpine countries 

 than where the winter is less protracted and severe, the 

 mining of the trees may be at nesting time the least 

 profitable. It is usually said that the woodpecker 

 digs with its bill, and scratches with its feet into the 

 ant-hills, quite down to the depositories of the larvae 

 and chrysalids, in those states of the weather when the 

 ants do not come out. That may be true, but 

 from the structure of the feet, we are a little sceptical 

 in the matter of the scratching ; and though we have 

 watched a good deal, where both ant-hills and wood- 

 peckers were numerous, we have never been able either 

 to see the bird in the fact, or to observe the ravages that 

 it had committed. So that if the practice be natural, 

 it is not general, at least in all situations. 



The greater spotted woodpecker (picus major), is, 

 perhaps, even more expert upon trees than the green 

 one, and is thus another instance of the increase of 

 activity with the diminution of size. It is not half the 

 weight of the former, being rather less than three 

 ounces ; but it is of the same form, being about nine 

 inches in length, and fourteen in the expansion of the 

 wings. The beak and claws are similar in form and 

 colour to those of the former species ; but the mark- 

 ings on the rest of the bird are much more sprightly. 

 The forehead is whitish, the crown glassy black, and 

 the hind head a deep but rich red. The cheeks, ear- 

 covers, throat, breast, and belly are white ; the vent 

 and under tail-covers are brownish orange red. The 

 upper part is marked black and white. A black band 



