BRITISH BIRDS. 277 



hinder part of the neck, ending in a point behind; 

 the eye is surrounded by a black space; and from 

 each corner of the bill runs a crimson streak 

 pointing downwards; the back and wing coverts 

 olive green; rump yellow; the quill feathers are 

 dusky, barred on the outer web with black and 

 white; the bastard wing spotted with white; sides 

 of the head and under parts of the body white, 

 slightly tinged with green ; the tail is marked with 

 bars like the wings; legs greenish. The female 

 differs from the male in not having the red mark 

 from the corner of the mouth; she makes her nest 

 in the hollow of a tree, fifteen or twenty feet from 

 the ground. Buffon observes that both male and 

 female labour by turns in boring through the sound 

 part of the wood, sometimes to a considerable 

 depth, until they penetrate to that which is decayed 

 and rotten, where she lays five or six eggs, of a 

 greenish colour, marked with small black spots. 



The Green Woodpecker is seen more frequently 

 on the ground than the other kinds, particularly 

 where there are ant-hills. It inserts its long 

 tongue into the holes through which the ants issue, 

 and draws out those insects in abundance. Some- 

 times, with its feet and bill, it makes a breach in 

 the nest, and devours them at its ease, together 

 Avith their eggs. The young ones climb up and 

 down the trees before they are able to fly: they 

 roost very early, and repose in their holes till day. 



