356 
GREEN WOODPECKER. 
believe that it seldom extends beyond the line of 
Yorkshire. In Scotland we have never seen it, 
and know of no authentic specimen, while in 
Mr Thompson’s notes it is not enumerated. The 
scream or cry of the Green Woodpecker, when 
heard for the first time, in a retired place or 
lonely wood, the bird being unseen, strikes the 
hearer as most remarkable and startling. The 
tone and expression is not to be explained by 
words, and can only be felt by hearing ; and it 
appears to be uttered on alarm, or on hearing 
any noise, often without the person being able to 
catch a glimpse of the bird. We have seen this 
bird both in England and on the Continent, and 
it appears to frequent woods where there is a 
less proportion of tall wood than any of the 
preceding birds, climbing among the bushes; we 
have also seen it among strong hedges, and once 
or twice in whin covers, where it had been appa- 
rently searching for food on the ground. This, 
we know, is an occasional habit of the bird, when 
hunting for ants and their larvae, a favourite food, 
sought for on the hillocks or nests, and on old 
turf fences. The flight is low and undulating, 
and the call is often repeated in passing from one 
station to another. 
This species is said to be generally distributed 
over Europe ; but we are not aware of its range 
being extended farther, the form being represented 
in alpine India by several other beautiful but 
closely allied species. 
