51 



only picks them off the ground when from above it spies them lying there, and does the same as 

 regards acorns and beech-nuts, which it loves ; and it is therefore seldom seen hopping about on 

 the ground in search of them. It also cracks cherry-stones, and opens fir-cones, like its congener 

 P. major." 



The Middle Spotted Woodpecker commences nidification early in April, according to 

 Naumann, sometimes late in March, and hacks its own nest-hole in a suitable tree, generally 

 at a considerable elevation from the ground. In Styria, where Dresser found it breeding 

 numerously, he seldom met with a nest lower than from a height of from thirty to thirty-five 

 feet from the ground. The entrance-hole is circular, and small for the size of the bird, scarcely 

 larger, indeed, than that of the nest of the Least Spotted Woodpecker. As in the case of the 

 other Woodpeckers, the hole enlarges towards the bottom; and the eggs, generally five in 

 number, are deposited on the small chips without any thing else under them. According to 

 Naumann the term of incubation is fifteen days, both male and female sitting in turn. 



Mr. Meves has published the following note — " We found a nest in an oak containing 

 fledged young about fourteen feet above the ground. The latter were fed by the parents with 

 caterpillars (Geometra and Tortrix), which were abundant on the oak-leaves. Mr. C. Moller 

 showed me an old nest not above three feet above the ground. In May it had contained 

 five eggs." 



Mr. A. Benzon, of Copenhagen, writes to us as follows: — "The local Danish names for this 

 species are the same as for the Great Spotted Woodpecker. On several of the Danish islands it 

 is as common as that bird ; and this is particularly the case in the woods near Copenhagen 

 (Charlottenlund and Jsegersborg Dyrehaven). In these parts it picks out its breeding-hole in the 

 stems of trees, like the Great Spotted Woodpecker ; but it can be distinguished from the latter 

 bird by its smaller size. I have often found its nest at a height of three metres, generally, 

 however, at twice this height, and sometimes even higher, and therefore cannot confirm 

 Kjaerbolling's statement that it is ' often fifty feet, seldom below twenty feet,' from the ground 

 (one metre equals three Danish feet). Although it generally seeks its food on the trees, I have 

 occasionally seen it hunting after insects on the ground. It sits so close that it can scarcely be 

 driven from its eggs. In this neighbourhood it has eggs about the end of May, and lays five, 

 seldom more. I have two sittings of five eggs, taken at Dyrehaven on the 22nd and 23rd of 

 May respectively. It appears to breed earlier in Austria, as I have eggs from Krain, received 

 through Seidensacher, taken on the 4th and 14th of May ; and these eggs are larger than Danish 

 specimens. Danish eggs in my collection measure in millimetres 22 - 5 by 16 to 23 - 5 by 18, 

 whereas those from Krain measure 25 - 5 by 19 to 26 by 19 - 5." 



In Dresser's collection are eggs from Southern Austria. These average in size ff by f § inch, 

 are pure white in colour, oval in shape, and taper slightly at each end. 



The figures and descriptions are from Grecian specimens, obtained by Dr. Kriiper, in our 

 own collection. 



3b2 



