GREY WOOUPECKEK. 



131 



Specific Characters. — Plumage green, with the top of the head 

 grey and the forehead crimson; only the middle feathers of the 

 tail having transverse bands across them. Length from tip of beak 

 to end of tail eleven inches; from carpal joint to tip of wing five 

 inches and a half; tarsus one inch; middle toe and claw one 

 inch and a quarter; tail four inches; beak one inch and a half. 



This bird, with, which I commence the interesting 

 family of Woodpeckers, is essentially an inhabitant 

 of the northern parts of Europe. It occurs in Nor- 

 way and the north of Sweden, being only found in 

 the southern parts of this country accidentally. It also 

 occurs in Russia and Finland, but Mr. Wheelwright 

 informs me that it has not been observed by the 

 Swedish naturalists in Lapland. It is sometimes found 

 in Switzerland, near Zurich, and occasionally in France, 

 but never, according to Temminck, in Holland. It is 

 found accidentally in Denmark. It is rare in the south 

 of Germany, but in the north is more plentiful than 

 P. viridis. It is in this country (Germany) a bird of 

 passage, leaving in October, and returning to breed 

 in March. It is mentioned by Count Miihle and Dr. 

 Lindermayer among the rarer birds of Greece. Ac- 

 cording to Temminck it is also found in America and 

 the north of Asia, but it is not included in Bonaparte's 

 list of the birds of the former: nor is the latter given 

 as a locality by the same or other modern authorities. 



I am indebted to Naumann's "Naturgeschichte der 

 Vogel Deutschlands" for most of the information con- 

 tained in the notices of this and the following species 

 of Woodpecker. 



In winter the Grey Woodpecker chooses a locality 

 for its residence which is solitary, and as much as 

 possible unobtruded upon by man. Each bird seems 

 to have its own hunting-ground, over which it roams 



VOL. III. U 



