THE -GREEK WOODPECKEB. 153 



they abound most in the humid forests of America. It is, how- 

 ever, remarkable enough that none are to be found in New Hol- 

 land. 



" Though the Woodpeckers constitute a very natural genus, 

 and all appear as though they were formed in one type, yet the 

 manners of some species vary considerably. There are some 

 which do not climb, although their organization might lead us to 

 believe they did ; but, on the contrary, they live on the ground, 

 or in the rocks."* 



(A.) EUROPEAN BIRDS. 



TAMEABLE WHEN YOUNG. 



57. THE GEEEN WOODPECKEE. 



Picus Firidis, LIN. Pic Verd, BUF. Der Grunspecht, BECH. 



Description. The Green "Woodpecker is about the size of a 

 small Pigeon, being twelve inches and a half in length. The 

 tail, half of which is covered by the folded wings, measures 

 four inches and a quarter. The beak is one inch and a half 

 long, trilateral, sharp at the point, and of a dark lead colour ; 

 the iris is light lead colour, with a faint brown stripe round 

 the pupil. The tongue, which is five inches in length, is, like 

 that of all "Woodpeckers, provided with a horny tip, to catch 

 and pierce insects ; the feet are a greyish lead colour, and 

 adapted for climbing. The top of the head, as far as the nape 

 of the neck, is a beautiful crimson. In old birds a black 

 stripe, tinged with red, runs down each side of the neck. The 

 upper part of the body is a bright olive green ; the lower a 

 dirty greenish white, marked on the belly with indistinct trans- 

 verse stripes, which become more visible on the side. 



The head of the female is never so red as that of the male, 

 and for the first year is entirely grey. 



Habitat. In summer the Woodpecker frequents woods and 

 retired gardens, but in winter, when the snow falls thickly, it 

 approaches the villages, and flies about the gardens near the 

 houses. It conceals itself at night in a hollow tree. In rotten 

 trees it excavates large and deep round holes with its beak, in 

 order to get at the insects which are there to be found. It 

 never, however, attacks a healthy tree, though often unjustly 



* Griffith's Cuvier, vol. vii. p. 510. 



