The Great Black Woodpecker. BIRDS. The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. 381 
capture of larvae, -which, being pierced by the tip of the 
tongue, may be prevented by the barbs from escaping, 
notwithstanding their struggles. But for the capture 
of the smaller insects, which abound both under the 
bark and among the crevices of its surface, the tongue 
is endued with a glutinous matter, which is secreted 
bj^ a pair of large glands situated in the throat, and 
communicating with the mouth by long ducts ; these 
open into the mouth at the point where the two branches 
of the lower mandible unite together, and consequently 
close to the front of the mouth, so that the glutinous 
coating of the tongue will be renewed every time that 
organ is drawn back within the bill. Besides insects, 
the Woodpeckers feed upon fruits and seeds, and some 
of them are accused of devouring, or even carrying oif, 
fruits from the orchards to a considerable extent. 
The Woodpeckers roost and breed in the holes of 
trees, which they are able to enlarge to suit their pur- 
poses by means of their strong and sharp bills. The 
eggs are deposited upon the chips and debris at the 
bottom of the hole ; they are variable in number, but, 
in almost all known cases, are of a smooth and shining 
texture, and of a pure white colour. 
THE GREAT BLACK WOODPECKER {Piciis martius) 
— Plate 16, fig. 57 — a rare bird in Britain, is not 
uncommon in some parts of Europe, especially in the 
pine forests of the Alps. It is also found in Germany 
and France, and extends thence over the northern parts 
of Europe through Russia into Siberia. The length of 
this bird is about sixteen inches, and its plumage is of 
a deep black colour, with the top of the head slightly 
crested and bright blood-red. Its note resembles a 
loud, hoarse laugh. Its food consists chieily of insects, 
which it captures upon or under the bark of trees as 
already described ; it will also feed on nuts, seeds, and 
berries. It lays three eggs of a pure white colour. 
THE GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER {Dryohates 
major) is not an uncommon bird in some parts of this 
country, especially in the southern and midland coun- 
ties ; in the more northern districts a few specimens 
appear late in autumn, and are supposed to migrate 
from Norway and Sweden. The species is found in 
all parts of Europe. It is an inliabitant of woods, parks, 
and gardens; but its shyness prevents it from being 
frequently seen, as, on the aj)proach of any intruder on 
its haunts, it will creep round the trunk of the tree on 
which it is sitting, or conceal itself behind a branch. 
It rarely alights on the ground, but occasionally visits 
old posts or rails and decayed pollard trees, probably 
finding an .abundance of insect food in such situations. 
The bird is said to adopt a singular and ingenious con- 
trivance for obtaining insects, which is described in the 
following words in one of the editions of Pennant’s 
British Zoology : — “ By putting the point of its bill into 
a crack of the limb of a large tree, and making a quick 
tremulous motion with its head, it occasions a sound as 
if the tree was splitting, which alarms the insects and 
induces them to quit their recesses; this it repeats every 
minute or two for half an hour, and will then fly off to 
another tree, generally fixing itself near the top for the 
same purpose. Tlie noise may be distinctly beard for 
half a mile.” The eggs of this bird are deposited in the 
hole of a tree, and are as many as five in number. 
The Great Spotted Woodpecker is between nine and 
ten inches in length, and is of a black colour above, 
with the forehead and the sides of the head dirty white, 
the back of the head bright scarlet, and a spot on each 
side of the neck, the scapulars and numerous spots on 
the wings white ; the throat is dirty white, bounded by 
a black stripe, and the remainder of the lower surtace 
is also dingy white, except the vent and lower tail- 
coverts, which are red. The two middle tail-feathers 
are entirely black; the two next on each side black, 
tipped with white ; and the rest banded with black and 
white. 
THE LESSER SPOTTED -WOODPECKER {Dryohates 
minoi-), another British species, is not uncommon in 
the southern and midland counties, but becomes rare 
towards the north. It is distributed over most parts 
of Europe, and extends its range through Siberia. Its 
length is a little less than six inches, and its bill is 
shorter in proportion than in the preceding species. 
It has the crown of the head scarlet, the forehead, 
cheeks, and sides of the neck dingy white, and Ihe 
upper surface black, barred with white on the back ; 
the wings are grayish-black, with white bars; the four 
middle tail-feathers are black, the next on each side 
tipped with white, and the remainder barred with white 
and black. The lower surface of the body is grayish- 
white, with black longitudinal streaks. This bird is 
generally seen seai'cbing for insects upon the bark of 
trees, and often amongst the moss-covered branches of 
fruit-trees in orchards. It also occasionally descends 
to the ground and seeks its food amongst the grass. 
Two other nearly allied species {D. medius and leuco- 
notus) are found commonly on the continent of Europe. 
THE THREE-TOED WOODPECKER {Picoides tridac- 
tylus) — Plate 16, fig. 58. — This bird, wliicli is an 
inhabitant of the northern parts of both hemispheres, 
is distinguished from the preceding species, and indeed 
from nearly all the other birds of this family, by its 
possessing only three toes, the inner or true hinder 
toe being entirely deficient. It measures two inches in 
length, and has the forehead, the back of the head, and 
a streak behind each eye black; the crown of the head 
golden yellow; the wings black, banded with white; 
the back and lower surface white, with numerous 
transverse black spots ; and the tail black, with the 
two outer feathers on each side banded with white. 
THE IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER {CampepMlvs 
pidncipalis), one of the largest species of this family, is 
a native of the southern United States. It measures 
about twenty inches in length, and is of a black colour, 
with a greenish gloss ; the top of the head is adorned 
with a crest of a fine red colour; a white stripe starting 
from beneath each eye, passes down the side of the 
neck, and along the back nearly to the rump ; the five 
inner primaries are furnished with a gradually increas- 
ing while tip, and the secondaries are wholly white. 
The bill, which is perfectly white and like ivory, is 
extremely powerful and elegantly fluted ; it measures 
nearly air inch in breadth at its base. With this for- 
midable organ the Ivory-billed Woodpecker is able to 
break off large quantities of tlie bark of trees in search- 
ing for the insects on which he feeds, and even to dig 
a hole into the solid wood to furnish himself with a 
