166 VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF LAKELAND 



long slender fir ; he alighted on a small bough, and proceeded to 

 sidle down the stem of the tree, twisting round before he reached 

 the base, and then flew to the next tree. Crossing the meadows, 

 we soon heard another Woodpecker jarring in a different quarter. 

 Conspicuous among a few straggling trees, which grew beside a 

 small water-course, was a fine alder. To this the Woodpecker 

 directed its undulating course, and proceeded to alight on an 

 upright stem, clinging to it with tail spread flat against its surface, 

 and head thrown back, hanging in easy elegance on the perpen- 

 dicular. It again repeated its jarring, and we had scrutinised 

 its pied plumage with the glass somewhat closely, before the shy 

 fellow took alarm and flew away. About 25 feet up there 

 was an old hole, and, above, two separate borings had been 

 commenced, about 2 feet apart, the one just above the other. 

 The early morning and the afternoon are the best times to hear 

 the jarring of this Woodpecker. How does this Woodpecker obtain 

 shelter at night in the winter-time ? It roosts in old nesting-holes, 

 to which it sometimes retires even during the day. On the 

 26th of January 1889, when wandering through the woods of 

 Edenhall, we came upon the remains of a Scotch fir, a gaunt giant 

 which had long survived its prime, and now only cumbered the 

 ground as a dismembered witness of the past. It contained 

 three borings of this Woodpecker. On our kicking the bark 

 twice, a Greater Spotted Woodpecker flew out, and crossing a 

 small clearing, disappeared in the recesses of the coverts. 



LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER. 



Dendrocopns minor (L.). 



All endeavours to trace this species in Westmorland or Fur- 

 ness have hitherto proved futile. A pair nested at Edenhall in 

 1882, but were unfortunately shot for Shaw of Shrewsbury at 

 his special request. A single bird was shot near Carlisle in the 

 ' thirties,' and another at Paw Park. A pair were reported as 

 seen at Dalemain in 1847. Blackett Greenwell obtained a 

 specimen near Alston, but on the Northumberland side. It is 

 evident that Lakeland lies outside the usual breeding range 

 of this Woodpecker. 





