THE GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER. 71 



considerable impartiality, spiders, moths, flies, beetles, grubs, 

 caterpillars, and indeed anything and everything of a 

 similar description. According to some naturalists, however, 

 the bird is by no means averse to fruit. 



The Great Spotted Woodpecker usually, if not in- 

 variably, inhabits holes in trees, and the eggs are deposited 

 upon the decayed and dusty floor of the hole, with no 

 further efforts in the direction of nest-making. Generally 

 a hole is selected extending some couple of feet into the 

 tree. The eggs average four or five in number, and are 

 about an inch in length ; they are white, and have a very 

 smooth, glossy appearance. The parents are much attached 

 to their nest and its contents, the female especially showing 

 strong signs of anxiety and affection. The young birds 

 are generally able to take care of themslves about the 

 middle of July. 



The flight is short and undulating; the bird is very 

 seldom seen on the ground, and when there its move- 

 ments are slow, and it generally progresses in a series 

 of hops. 



The beak of the adult is about the same length as the 

 head, of a dark shiny horn colour, with greyish bristly 

 feathers covering the nostrils; forehead, ear coverts, and a 

 circle round the eye, a dull, dirty white ; top of head, dark 

 bluish black; back of head, bright scarlet; nape of neck, 

 black this colour passing forward in a stripe to the beak, 

 and backward towards the wings; back, rump and tail 

 coverts, black. The wings are black variegated with white 

 marks, and there is a large, well-defined patch of white on 

 the scapulars. The tail is partly black, some of the feathers 

 being tipped and marked with white. The throat, neck, 

 breast, and belly dirty white ; vent and under tail-coverts, 



