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Notes about the Greater Spotted Woodpecker — Picus {Dryo- 

 hates) major. By Charles Stuart, M.D., Edinburgh. 



Previous to the meeting of the Berwickshire NaturaUsts' 

 Club at Chirnside^ Dr. Maclagan, of Berwick, wrote to me 

 an interesting letter relative to the Picus major. When 

 resident in Canada, he was familiar with the habits of this 

 bird, and well acquainted with the peculiar tapping noise it 

 makes when searching for insects. He was therefore not a 

 little astonished when walking near Berwick to hear the 

 familiar sound, and presently a fine Woofl pecker commenced 

 operations, on a rail, close to where he was standing ; and he 

 watched and satisfied himself as to its identity. On regaining 

 the road, he was overtaken by Mr. Smith, residing at Letham, 

 who informed him that he had a rare bird in his pocket, 

 upon producing which, strange to say, here was another speci- 

 men of the Pious major ^ shot at Montiynut in the Lammer- 

 moors. Upon visiting the bird stuffer in Berwick, he was 

 shown three other specimens received for preservation ; one 

 was shot at Hornclifie, another near Eyemouth. He has 

 stuffed no less than eleven specimens of this rare bird 

 this season, sent to him from a wide range of country. A 

 few years ago Lord William Kennedy shot at a Greater 

 Spotted Woodpecker in Edington Hill wood, about a mile 

 from Chirnside ; and Mr. Stewart, at one time residing at 

 Blanerne, shot another most beautiful specimen on Leader- 

 side, in this county. Mr. Tate informs me that the Picus 

 major has been observed this season at Newton-by-the-Sea, 

 Monks' House, Dunstan, Glanton, and Chevington, in 

 Northumberland. I also observed that in the North of 

 Scotland it had been more frequently shot at than in former 

 years. The very warm summer which Ave have had is sup- 

 posed to have attracted a flock of these beautiful birds to this 

 country, as their distribution on the Continent of Europe is 

 very wide, and in some parts exactly opposite our own country, 

 extending from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Russia, to 

 Italy. This bird is considered rare in England and still rarer 

 in Scotland and Ireland. The male is very handsome. In 

 their habits they are more arboreal than most of the other 

 Woodpeckers, as they seldom descend to the ground, but 

 confine their operations in search of Larvae and Coleopterous 

 insects, which hide under the decayed bark of trees, rails, &c. 

 The noise they make in dislodging large masses of bark by 

 repeated blows may be heard half a mile off, and they get 

 plentiful supplies of spiders, ants, and other insects in the 



