﻿24 Birds 



the forehead, ear-coverts, sides of the neck, and throat are white ; 

 the nape crimson ; a black bar runs from the base of the bill and 

 joins the black collar ; scapulars white ; wings barred with white ; 

 under-parts bumsh- white ; vent and under tail-coverts crimson ; 

 tail black, with the three outer pairs of feathers partly white ; 

 bill leaden-black ; feet brown ; iris crimson. The female is slightly 

 smaller, and has no crimson on the nape. 



This bird renders great service to various forest and fruit 

 trees by destroying large numbers of wood-boring insects. Upon 

 examination of the gizzards of these birds they have been found 

 completely filled with the larvae of the leopard moth (Zeuzera 

 cbscuU), a very destructive species. The insect food is varied in 

 the autumn with berries, nuts, and acorns. 



LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER. (PL X.) 



Dendrocopus minor. 



Over the southern half of England and Wales this little wood- 

 pecker is resident and somewhat commonly distributed in many 

 localities, especially in certain districts in Middlesex, Surrey, and 

 Kent, also in Somersetshire and other western midlands. North 

 of Yorkshire it is very scarce, and only a few instances of its 

 occurrence in Scotland and Ireland are recorded. 



The nesting hole is frequently made in the upper branches of 

 lofty trees, but sometimes it is situated much lower down in old 

 fruit trees, pollard willows, or oaks. The eggs are laid at the 

 bottom of the excavation, either on the bare wood or on a few 

 chips ; they number from five to eight, and are of a glossy white 

 colour. 



The adult bird has the forehead pale buff ; crown crimson ; 

 cheeks white ; nape and moustache-mark black ; upper parts, 

 including tail, black, barred broadly with white, excepting the 

 central tail-feathers, which are wholly black ; under-parts whitish- 

 buff, flanks streaked with black ; bill and feet leaden-grey ; iris 

 rufous. The female has the crown white instead of crimson. The 

 food consists entirely of insects, chiefly many destructive wood- 

 boring species ; consequently this handsome little bird renders 

 good service in ridding both fruit and forest trees of a great 

 number of injurious pests. 



