30 British Birds, with their Nests and Eggs. 



bars, raisiug" at the same time the feathers of his bright crimson crest. It was 

 interesting to watch liini in the act of hanging head downwards from a piece of 

 bark, as if resting on the under sni^face of the bough of a forest tree. Bach 

 leg was firmh' supported bj' the strong claws, and the tarsi were stretched widely 

 apart. While tluis poised, the bird struck upwards at the cork many times in 

 succession withoiit shifting his position. Indeed he frequently delivered a number 

 of sharp blows upon a single spot. 



When the male desired to take a bath, he first played with the water, spurting 

 it over his back with his long bill. A few moments later he slipped into the 

 water, ducked his head, and allowed the water to flow freely over his back and 

 wings. Hav-ing thus saturated his feathers, he returned to the cork, and com- 

 menced to hammer merrily. The sound of my voice was always a signal for both 

 the Woodpeckers to suspend their boring operations. They waited for me to feed 

 them in the morning, and were vexed if they had to wait much longer than usual. 



I fed them at first on an ' artificial food ' supplied to me by Mr. Gasparin. 

 After some months they tired of this mixture. I then replaced it by Hawkins' 

 prepared food for Insectivorous birds. 



The male died in the early winter of the same year, during my absence. His 

 companion continued to thrive in solitude until the following summer, when she 

 accidentally made her escape through an open window. 



With regard to the cry of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, I can vouch for 

 the fact that both sexes have the same call-note, which I wrote down as ' Kink, 

 Kink," but which Naumann rendered as ' Kiik.' The male has also a sort of 

 laughing cry, only uttered when he is excited, and even then but rarely, at least 

 in captivity. Having listened to my tame birds at all hours, from dawn to 

 twilight, I am able to say that both the female and male of this Woodpecker 

 ' churr.' The}' have, in fact, three dijBferent beats ; one is a loud ' ratatat ' ; the 

 second resembles the light tapping of the common Nuthatch fSitta casiaj . Their 

 third sound — generally called ' ckurrijig ' — is produced by a succession of very 

 rapid blows directed upon one particular piece of bark." 



The above account is especially interesting, as showing that the natural food 

 of the bird is not necessary in order to keep it in health ; but that, as with most 

 insectivorous birds, the regular bird-dealers' mixtures answer the purpose as a 

 substitute. 



