﻿Beneficial to Agrictdture. 23 



rare in the northern counties, and in Ireland has only occurred 

 two or three times. 



The Green Woodpecker usually commences boring its nesting 

 hole about the middle of April, various trees being selected for the 

 purpose. The hole is bored horizontally in either a stout branch 

 or the trunk until it reaches the centre, where a shaft is then sunk 

 for about a foot deep, and the bottom is enlarged into a chamber 

 for the eggs. Decayed trees are chiefly chosen for the boring. 

 The eggs number from five to seven, and are pure white and 

 glossy. 



The food consists of insects and their larvae, especially many 

 destructive wood-boring species, which the bird captures hidden in 

 crevices and under the bark of trees. It feeds also on the larvae, 

 which it extracts from the borings. A large number of ants and 

 other insects which it finds on the ground are devoured. Owing 

 to the great quantity of destructive forest insects it destroys, the 

 Green Woodpecker is a very beneficial forest bird. 



The adult has the upper parts green, blending into yellow on 

 the rump ; the crown, nape, and moustache-marking crimson ; 

 lores and cheeks black; under-parts light green-grey; the bill, 

 legs and feet slate-grey. The female has less crimson on the head, 

 and the moustache-marking is black. 



GREATEK SPOTTED WOODPECKEE. (PI. IX.) 



Dendrocoptis major. 



The Greater Spotted Woodpecker is confined to woodlands and 

 forests throughout England and Wales, especially where large and 

 ancient trees abound. In the northern counties and Scotland it is 

 rare, and in Ireland it only occasionally occurs. Although resident 

 in this country, an autumnal migration sometimes takes place, when 

 small flocks have been known to reach the east coasts of both 

 England and Scotland. 



The nesting habits of this bird are similar to those of the Green 

 Woodpecker, but the present species sometimes utilises a hollow 

 dead branch as a nesting site. The eggs are laid in an enlarged 

 chamber at the bottom of the hole on the bare wood ; they are 

 creamy-white with a polished surface, and vary from five to eight 

 in number. 



This handsome bird has the upper parts mostly glossy black, 



