GREEN WOODPECKER. 109 
Famity PICIDA. 
Sup-ramity PICINA. 
GREEN WOODPECKER. 
Gxcinus viripis, Linn. 
Pl. XVIL., fig. 1. 
Geogr. distr.—Throughout Europe, but not extending into Siberia: 
more common in the southern than the northern counties of England. 
Food.—Insects in all stages; probably also nuts and acorns. 
Nest.—A mere hole cut through the sound outer wood of a tree into 
the decayed portion ; the hollow forming the nest is a few inches below 
the entrance, or some distance into the tree, and often far from the 
ground, and the eggs are deposited upon the rotten wood. 
Position of nest.—In decaying oaks in forests, or ashes and elms in 
hedge-rows ; also in poplars, horse-chestnuts, sycamores, silver-firs, 
and beeches. 
Number of eggs.—5-7; rarely 8. 
Time of nidification.--IV-VI; early in May. 
I have had some difficulty in ascertaining the time of 
nidification of this species. Eggs in my collection were 
taken in the New Forest in June. It is strange that books 
intended to guide the collector of eggs should frequently 
omit altogether to indicate when the various species should 
be sought for. The three principal needs of a collector 
are represented by the words where, when, and how, and in 
giving answers to all these questions Mr. Seebohm’s 
‘History of British Birds’ stands first. From his book I 
cull the following :— 
“The usual note of this bird, which is uttered most 
frequently in spring and early summer, is a loud and clear 
kyu, kyu, kyu, so rapidly repeated as to bear a great resem- 
blance to a hearty laugh. Its loud cries have been said to 
prognosticate rain ; and in many districts the Green Wood- 
pecker is known as the ‘ Rain-bird,’ whilst its singular note, 
has gained for it the name of ‘ Yaffle’ in some counties. 
When alarmed the note of this bird is somewhat modulated, 
and resembles, perhaps, less a laugh than a scream ”’ (p.366.) 
This Woodpecker not only feeds on timber-haunting 
insects, which it picks from the bark of the trees, com- 
mencing near the bottom of a trunk or branch, and working 
upwards in an oblique direction, on larve, and spiders, but 
in summer it destroys great numbers of ants, visiting one 
nest after another, boring into the ground and securing the 
ants as they fallin. It is also said to prey upon bees. 
* According to Newton, the oak and beech are rarely chosen. 
