554. THE DOWNY WOODPECKER 



But tlie Woodpeckers, although living mostly on insects, do not confine themselves 

 wholly to that diet, but are very fond of fruits, always choosing the ripest. In this 

 country the forest-land forms so small a portion of the kingdom, that the Woodpeckers 

 are comparatively few, and can do little appreciable mischief to the gardens ; but in some 

 lands, such as many parts of America, they do very great damage, stripping the trees of 

 their fruit, and the fields of their crops, to such an extent that they are annually shot by 

 hundreds. 



As is the case with all its congeners, the Great Spotted Woodpecker lays its eggs in 

 the hollow of a tree. 



The locality chosen for this purpose is carefully selected, and is a tunnel excavated, or 

 at all events altered, by the bird for the special purpose of nidification. Before com- 

 mencing the operation, the Woodpeckers always find out whether tlie tree is sound or 

 rotten, and they can ascertain the latter fact, even through several layers of sound wood. 

 When they have fixed upon a site for their domicile, they set determinately to work, and 

 speedily cut out a circular tunnel just large enough to admit their bodies, but no larger. 

 Sometimes this tunnel is tolerably straight, but it generally turns oft' in another direction. 



At the bottom of the hole the female bird collects the little chips of decayed wood that 

 have been cut off during the boring process, and deposits her eggs upon them without any 

 attempt at nest-making. The eggs are generally five in number, but six have been taken 

 from the nest of this species. The young are able to run about the tree some time before 

 they can fly, and traverse the bark (j^uite fearlessly, retiring to the hole and calling their 

 pai^ents whenever they want food. 



Generally the nests of birds are kept scrupulously clean ; but that of the Woodpecker 

 is a sad exception to the rule, the amount of filth and potency of stench being quite 

 beyond human endurance. The colour of the eggs is white, and their surface glossy, 

 and they are remarkable, when fresh, for some very faint and very narrow lines, which run 

 longitudinally down the shell towards the small end. 



The general colour of this species is black and white, curiously disposed, with the 

 exception of the back of the head, which is light scarlet, and contrasts strongly with the 

 sober hues of the body. Taking the black to be the ground colour, the white is thus 

 arranged : The forehead and ear-coverts, a patch on each side of the neck, the scapularies, 

 and part of the wing-coverts, several little squared spots on the wings, and large patches 

 on the tail, are pure white. The throat and the whole of the under surface are also white, 

 but with a greyish cast, and the under tail-coverts are red. The total length of tlie adult 

 male is rather more than nine inches. The female has no red on the head, and the young 

 birds of the first year are remarkable for having the back of the head black and the top 

 of the head red, often mixed with a few little black feathers. 



The Downy Woodpeckee derives its name from the strip of loose downy feathers 

 which passes along its back. It is a native of America, and very plentiful in various 

 parts of that country. Its habits are so well described by Wilson, that his own words 

 will be the best comment on this pretty little bird. 



" About the middle of May the male and female look out for a suitable place for the 

 reception of their eggs and young. An apple, pear, or cherry tree, often in the near 

 neighbourhood of the farmhouse, is generally pitched upon for this purpose. The tree is 

 minutely reconnoitred for several days previous to the operation, and the work is first 

 begun by the male, who cuts out a hole in the solid wood as circular as if described with 

 a pair of compasses. He is occasionally relieved by the female, both parties working 

 with the most indefatigable diligence. The direction of the hole, if made in the body 

 of the tree, is generally downwards by an angle of thirty or forty degrees for the distance 

 of six or eight inches, and then straight down for ten or twelve more ; within roomy, 

 capacious, and as smooth as if polished by the cabinet-maker ; but the entrance is 

 judiciously left just so large as to admit the bodies of the owners. 



During this labour they regularly carry out the chips, often strewing them at a distance 

 to prevent suspicion. This operation sometimes occupies the chief part of a week. 

 Before she begins to lay, the female often visits the place, passes in and out, examines 



