The Greater Spotted Woodpecker. 419 



find no place of refuge. These birds are cunning and 

 stealthy, and require to be watched narrowly from a distance 

 with a field glass to discover their habits and tactics for obtain- 

 ing their food, for they instantly hide themselves when anyone 

 incautiously approaches their place of location. The noise 

 they make when tapping a tree may be heard distinctly at 

 an incredible distance, and their presence discovered by this 

 sign alone. They build no nest, but scoop out a deep hole 

 in an unsound portion of a tree, and in doing so simply 

 whittle away the wood without making a noise ; the hen 

 lays her eggs amongst a few fragments of decayed wood. 



In order to protect themselves, they have been known to 

 make a hole on each side of the tree, so that they may 

 have a loophole for escape in the event of being molested. 

 The hen lays four or five glossy white eggs, and is most 

 attentive to her duties during the period of incubation, 

 which lasts about sixteen days. The young are reared 

 principally on insects. 



Methods of Capture. — The same methods as recommended 

 in the chapter on the Green Woodpecker " should be 

 adopted. 



Food and Teeatment. — In a wild state, these birds feed 

 on various insects and their larvae, acorns, the seeds of pine 

 and fir cones, hazel nuts, chestnuts, and beech mast. In con- 

 finement, give mealworms, ants and their eggs, scraped beef, 

 nuts of most kinds, and the Compound No. 1 recommended 

 in the chapter on the Starling " {vide p. 189). 



Eeaeing the Young. — Follow the treatment recommended 

 in the chapter on the " Green Woodpecker," and when the 

 birds are fully fledged give them a few Spanish or Brazil 

 nuts, chopped into small pieces, or bruised in a mortar, by 

 way of a change. The heads of the young before moulting 

 are red. 



Distinguishing Maeks of Cock and Hen. — The sex of 

 these birds may be determined by the colours of the head 

 alone, as the female is destitute of the crimson spot which 

 adorns the back of the head of the male. 



Song. — This bird is not endowed by Nature with a song, 

 but it makes a singular, jarring noise, peculiar to the whole 

 family of the Woodpeckers. 



Points to be Obseeved in Judging. — Good shape, close 



2 e 2 



