LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER. 167 



thers black ; the rest more or less tipped with 

 white, and spotted with black : legs lead-colour : 

 female with that part of the head white which in 

 the male is red : both sexes without the red vent 

 of the last species. 



Sonnerat describes a bird taken by him in the 

 isle of Panay, with the beak black ; the crown of 

 the head and hind part of the neck greyish black : 

 with a stripe of white beginning above the eye, 

 and descending about two-thirds of the way down 

 the neck ; below which from the eye to the shoulder 

 there is another of black : upper part of the body 

 black and white : under parts pale yellow spotted 

 with black : tail above black, beneath barred with 

 dirty white, and yellowish : legs blackish. 



This bird is pretty generally diffused over most 

 parts of the continents of Europe and Asia. Sa* 

 lerne denies its being found in France, but Buffon 

 assures us it is found in most of the provinces 

 there ; in England it is rather scarce. It builds 

 in rotten trees, and often disputes possession with 

 the Colemouse, which generally yields to the su- 

 perior strength of its adversary : it lays about five 

 white eggs, which weigh about thirty-three grains, 

 and are placed on the rotten wood without any 

 nest. In the winter it approaches orchards for the 

 sake of food, as it finds various insects on the 

 trunks of the trees. It is known by the names of 

 Hickwall and Crankbird. 



