GREEN WOODPECKER. 141 



its body close to the tree, to bring its centre of gravity in 

 a perpendicular line before the points of support, and thus 

 materially to diminish the labour of, and the strain upon, 

 the muscles of the legs and thighs. The descending posi- 

 tion of the bones of the tail indicate the mode by which 

 the stiff points of the tail-feathers are brought into contact 

 with the surface of the bark of the tree to form an acces- 

 sory prop. 



These birds inhabit holes in trees, which they excavate 

 or enlarge for their use, chiefly in the elm or the ash, in 

 preference to those of harder wood. When excavating 

 a hole in a tree for the purpose of incubation, the birds, 

 it is said, will carry away the chips to a distance, in order 

 that they may not lead to a discovery of their retreat, 

 as other birds are known to carry away the egg-shells and 

 mutings of their young birds. The Green Woodpecker 

 makes no nest, but deposits its eggs on the loose, soft frag- 

 ments of the decayed wood. The eggs are from five to 

 seven in number : smooth, shining, and pure white, one 

 inch two lines and a half in length, by ten lines and a half 

 in breadth. The young birds are fledged in June, and 

 creep about the tree a short distance from the hole before 

 they are able to fly. I have known the young birds 

 to be taken from the tree and brought up by hand, becom- 

 ing very tame, and giving utterance to a low note not 

 unlike that of a very young gosling. The adult birds also 

 make a low jarring sound, which is supposed to be the call- 

 note of the sexes to each other. Their more common note 

 is a loud sound, which has been compared to a laugh, and 

 they are said to be vociferous when rain is impending, 

 hence their name of Rain-bird ; and as it is highly pro- 

 bable that no change takes place in the weather without 

 some previous alteration in the electrical condition of the 



