156 THE GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER. 



flight is undulating, but the last undulation before the bird 

 alights on the hole of the tree is much longer than the first. I 

 have never seen it descend the tree after the manner of the Nut- 

 hatch, nor have I reason to think that it ever does so. Some 

 authors, in their history of the bird, speak of its carrying away 

 the chips from the foot of the tree in which it has been preparing 

 a place for its offspring ; but although such may be the case, I 

 have never, after a very minute search, seen either male or female 

 removing the chips, which, on the contrary, I have always found 

 in profusion near their holes. This bird never uses masonry, as 

 the Nuthatch does, at the mouth of the holes which it chooses 

 for nidification. I have never found any appearance of nest, ex- 

 cepting of decayed wood, in which were laid from five to seven 

 delicate and beautiful white eggs." 



58. THE GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER. 

 Picus Major, LIN. Epeiche ou pic varie, BUF. Der Buntspecht, BECH. 



Description. This bird, which is nine inches in length, is 

 about the size of a Song Thrush. The tail, of which the 

 folded wings cover a little more than half, measures three 

 inches and a half. The beak is almost one inch in length ; 

 on the upper side five-cornered, and a blackish horn colour ; 

 but on the lower, it has a blueish tinge. The feet are thirteen 

 lines high, and of a blueish olive green ; the iris is blueish, but 

 surrounded by a white ring. The forehead is yellowish brown ; 

 the top of the head black ; but edged towards the neck with 

 a crimson stripe. The beak is black : the shoulders white ; 

 the wings and tail striped with black and white, and having 

 over the whole a tinge of yellow. The under part of the body 

 is a dirty reddish white ; the vent is crimson. 



In the female the red stripe on the neck is wanting. 



Observations. The larger Woodpecker frequents gardens 

 and groves, and feeds on insects, hazelnuts, beechmast, acorns, 

 and the seeds of pine and fir-cones, &c. Before opening nuts, 

 it usually fixes them in some crevice of a tree. The female 

 lays from three to six white eggs, in a hollow tree. Before 

 the first moulting, the head of the young birds is altogether 

 red. If it is intended to rear them, they should be taken out 

 of the nest when half grown, and fed on ants' eggs, meat, and 

 nuts. In other respects, the observations on the Green Wood- 

 pecker apply also to this bird. 



