Birds. 9731 



I am not aware that the occurrence of the great black woodpecker 

 in the Hampstead Woods has ever been noticed in print ; but I am 

 informed of the fact by the person who saw the bird, and who, being 

 a taxidermist by profession, was well acquainted with the species, and 

 not likely to be mistaken. Mr. Spencer, of Great Portland Street, 

 having a brother who was keeper to Lord Mansfield, at Hampstead, 

 had many opportunities of visiting and exploring the large woods 

 called Caen Wood, Mutton Wood, Wild Wood and Bishop's Wood, 

 and of observing, shooting and examining many of our rarer birds, 

 whose shy habits conceal them from the general observer. Earlj' one 

 morning in May, 1845, whilst walking through the thickest part of 

 Caen Wood, Mr. Spencer was suddenly startled to see a black wood- 

 pecker dart between the trees and alight upon an oak at some 

 distance. It was extremely shy, and he was scarcely ever able to 

 approach within a hundred yards of it. On the following morning he 

 again visited the spot, on the chance of getting a shot at the bird, and 

 again saw it; but it was too wary to allow of a sufficiently near 

 approach. On the third day be was unavoidably prevented from 

 visiting the wood ; but on the morning of the fourth day he saw the 

 bird again for the third and last time. My informant is still living in 

 Great Portland Street, and able to vouch for the fact. 



In the 'Zoologist' for 1863 (Zool. 8091) there appeared a note to 

 the effect that the great black woodpecker had been found breeding in 

 an oak tree in the New Forest. As the eggs are stated to have been 

 obtained, there can surely be no doubt as to the species. I ob- 

 serve you have not referred to this instance in your note (Zool. 

 9626). 



Although cases have occurred in which the great black woodpecker 

 has been reported to have been seen or captured, and it afterwards 

 appeared that some other bird had been mistaken for it, — probably 

 Picus major, — it does not follow that this species has never occurred 

 in England. 



Looking at the form and anatomy of the bird, I see no reason why 

 it should not cross the sea as easily as the wryneck or any other of 

 the short-winged birds which visit us in summer. Standing upon an 

 eminence, I hav^e watched a green woodpecker, in full flight, cross a 

 large valley in a very short space of time. The liue of flight is 

 undulating, like that of the wagtail, but at the same time rapid. 

 I have also seen a great spotted woodpecker cross a k'ir acres of open 

 park in the saine way, and from the power which these birds dis- 

 played I have no doubt their flight could have been sustained for a 



