Green Woodpecker. 251 



its examination there, and cleared off all the insects in its way, 

 it merely flies off to the next tree, on the trunk of which it will 

 fix itself near the ground, and begin its spiral ascent as before. 



If suddenly disturbed it utters a screeching laugh, and flies off 

 with a series of long undulations to some distant tree on which 

 it fixes itself near the roots, and immediately dodges round to 

 the other side, clambering up all the while with a short jerking 

 motion of the body. Its remarkable colour and appearance, its 

 harsh cries, and its habits, have all combined to give rise to a 

 variety of names by which it is known in this and other countries. 

 In China, where it is very common, it is known as (but I will not 

 attempt the long Chinese name, suffice that it signifies) the ' Tree- 

 injurer.'* In Turkey it is called Cham-agri, because its note is as 

 ' of a fir-tree in distress '; in Germany Holzauer ; and in Sweden, 

 Hackspett ; and with us it is variously called in different districts 

 * Pick a tree ;' * Woodspite ' (or more correctly ' Woodspeight ') ; 

 ' Hewhole,' ' Whetile ' (a corrupt form of ' Whittle/ or cutter and 

 chipper of wood) ; and the Rev. A. P. Morres says that in his part 

 of the county, near Salisbury, it is known as the 'English 

 Parrot;' more commonly it is styled the Yaffle or Yappingall, 

 from its loud hearty laugh-like note, and when it is more than 

 commonly vociferous, stormy weather may be confidently ex- 

 pected ; hence another name frequently given it of Rain-bird, as 

 Bewick tells us the Romans called it Pluvice avis. Lloyd in his 

 ' Scandinavian Adventures ' says of it : ' In Norway this bird is con- 

 sidered better than a barometer. It is supposed not only to 

 predict the coming weather, but that three days beforehand : if 

 its notes are loud and monotonous, fine weather may be expected, 

 but if low, on the contrary, rain and storm are at hand ; and 

 should it approach the house and cry, something like a regular 

 tempest is to be looked for.' Thus we see that both English and 

 Norsemen considered this bird as highly weather-wise, though 

 they totally differ in the deductions they draw from the loudness 

 or softness of its scream; possibly we, none of us yet quite 

 understand what sensations are produced on many members of 

 Swinhoe in His for 1861, p. 338. 



