MIDDLE SPOTTED WOODPECKER. 
149 
entrance hole is quite round, not larger than is actually 
necessary, and appeal’s from below so small that few 
people would believe it belonged to this bird. It is 
Avidcnccl inside in the form of a ball, and. extends 
clovriiAvards from the entrance seven to ten inches — 
seldom more. 
The eggs are laid, on fine Avood shavings under the 
Avails of the very prettily-Avorked entrance hole. They 
are generally five or six in number, sometimes seven. 
They resemble those of the Greater Spotted, but are 
much smaller, oAml in shape, tender shelled, and of 
enamelled whiteness. They are hatched in fifteen days, 
male and female sitting alternately, and the young, in 
Xaumann’s oAAm Avords, are “blind, ugly, helpless, thick- 
headed,” hawing, like other young Woodpeckers, a car- 
tilaginous knob upon the corner of the beak. When 
full fledged they fly round the tree in circles until 
they gradually separate into twos and threes. The old 
birds display great affection for their young. 
Mr. WhcelAvright describes the old male from freshly 
killed specimens as folloAA's: — Forehead grey; A^ertex 
and occiput carmine redi.. Throat, sides of the head, 
and neck, white, Avith a black band Avhich commences 
at the gape, and gradually broadening, forms a triangular 
spot on the side of the neck. Tack of the neck, back, 
and rump black; shoulders Avhite; wings black, Avith 
white spots in pairs on both Avebs of the primaries and 
secondaries ; breast vrhite, Avith a ^^elloAvish, and the belly 
AA'hite, with a reddish tinge, Avith longitudinal black 
streaks along the sides of both; under tail coA-erts car- 
mine red. The side tail feathers at the end AAdiite, 
Avith black transverse bands; the four middle feathers 
C|uite black; iris broAvn, encircled Avith a AA'hitish ring; 
beak shorter, more compressed and weaker than in P. 
