382 ScANS'jitEs. BIRDS. 1’icid.e. 
lodging. His note is described as loud and trumpet- 
like ; but when captured, be emits a reiterated cry 
exactly resembling that of a child. The head and hill 
of this bird are said by Wilson to have been in his time 
in great esteem among the Indians as a charm. 
THE GREEN WOODPECKER {Gecinus viridis).— This 
species is the most abundant of the British Wood- 
peckers, and is found in most of the wooded districts 
both of England and Scotland ; it also occurs in almost 
all parts of Europe. It is about thirteen inches in 
length, and is of a dark yellowish-green colour above, 
and ashj’-green below ; the crown and hack of the head 
are scarlet ; a black moustache-like streak, with a 
scarlet patch along its middle, runs backwards from 
the base of the lower mandible on each side ; the rump, 
and upper tail-coverts, are sulphur-yellow; and the 
quill-feathers, both of the wings and tail, are grayish- 
black, more or less distinctly spotted or handed with 
white. 
In searching the hark of trees for insects, the Green 
Woodpecker usually starts from near the bottom of 
the trunk, and thence advances upwards, tapping on 
the hark to dislodge the insects concealed in its cre- 
vices, and digging into any decayed or hollow parts, 
to capture the concealed larva?. On reaching the top 
of the tree, it does not- descend it again, hut flies off, 
usually to another tree. One portion of the food of 
this bird consists of ants, and their larvre and jrup.ne, in 
]nirsuit of which it frequently visits the ground ; and 
Mr. Yarrell states, that he had seldom seen a newly 
killed specimen, which had not some earth adliering 
to the base of the hill, indicating that it had been plun- 
dering an ant-hill. 
Like the other Woodpeckers, this species breeds in 
the holes of trees, and in excavating or enlarging these, 
it is said to carry away the chips to a distance in order 
to prevent their betraying the position of the nest. The 
eggs are from five to seven in number. The note of 
this bird is loud, and is compared to a laugh ; it is said 
to he most frequently heard before rain, and hence in 
some places, the bird has received the name of the 
Rain-bird. There is a considerable number of species 
nearly allied to this, inhabiting most parts of both 
hemispheres. 
THE YELLOW-BACKED WOODPECKER (Bracln/- 
pternus aurantins), an inhabitant of India and Ceylon, 
is about eight inches in length, and of a black colour 
above, with the top of the head spotted with white; 
the crest, the middle of the hack, and part of the wing- 
coverts orange ; and the wings brown, mottled with 
white. The lower surface is brownish-white, with 
brown markings. This bird, with some allied Indian 
species, is remarkable for the structure of its feet, the 
inner hind toe being of very small size, and jn'ovided 
only with a weak claw. It is common in the vicinity 
of Calcutta, wdiere it breeds in the holes of trees. In 
Ceylon it frequents the Palmyra topes, excavating large 
holes in the trunks of the male trees, ■which are softer 
than those of the females. 
THE TIGA WOODPECKER {Chrysonotus Tiya).—in 
this, and several allied Indian species, the feet have 
oidy three toes, the inner hind toe, wdiich w'as rudimcn- 
lary in the last mentioned species, being here entirely 
deficient. In other respects, these birds agree closel}' 
with the Yellow -hacked Woodpecker. 
THE RED -HEADED WOODPECKER {Melaneijyes 
erythrocephalus). --This bird, which may he taken as the 
type of a subordinate group of Woodpeckers peculiar 
to America, is an inhabitant of the United States and 
Canada, performing a southward migration from its 
most northern haunts, at the approach of winter. Its 
length is between nine and ten inches ; its head and 
neck are deep scarlet; the greater part of the upper 
surface is black, with a bluish gloss; but the rump, and 
lower part of the back, and the secondary feathers are 
white, as is also the entire lower surface. 
This bird, like the rest of his family, frequents woods 
and orchards, and feeds principally upon the insects 
which he dislodges from their retreats in or under the 
bark. As he is an abundant bird, and incessantly 
engaged in the destruction of these secret foes to 
vegetation, the services which he renders to man in 
preserving trees are very great; nevertheless, as he 
has a taste for fruit, and a remarkable discrimination 
in selecting the best sorts, he has been regarded, in 
common with most of his relatives, as a nuisance, and 
in former times the legislatures of some of the states 
ofiered a jiremium of twopence per head for the destruc- 
tion of Woodpeckers. Ripe cherries are great favourites 
with him, as are also. pears and apples; if disturbed 
when regaling himself upon the latter, “he seizes a 
capital one by striking his open bill deep into it, and bears 
it off to the woods.” lie also attacks the Indian corn 
when in its milky state. Like the other members of 
this family', the Red-headed Woodpecker deposits its 
eggs in a hole of the trunk, or some large limb of a 
tree. The eggs, which are six in number, are white, 
with a few reddish spots. The black snake frequently 
Invades the nest of the woodpecker, and devours its 
eggs and young, in spite of the clamour of the parent 
birds. After feasting in this way, the reptile will fre- 
quently coil himself up in the place of his victims, and 
sometimes remain there for several days, causing the 
most intense alarm to the inducky schoolboy, who, 
on attempting to plunder the nest, finds that another 
robber has been before him. 
THE COLLARED WOODPECKER {Melanopicus torqna- 
tus), another inhabitant of the United States, is nearly 
a foot in length ; its idumage is black, with a greenish 
gloss above ; the forehead, cheeks, and chin are deep 
red ; round the neck there is a white collar, which 
spreads over the breast ; the abdomen is deep scarlet, 
and the vent black. In its general habits it agrees 
with the preceding species. 
THE RED-BELLIED WOODVECKEB, {Ceniurns caro- 
Hnus) is found in all parts of the United States and 
even in Canada ; it is also said to be a native of some 
of the W'^est Indian islands. It has the forehead yellow, 
the upper part of the head and neck golden red, the 
eheeks and throat buff, and the lower surface yellowish- 
ash, tinged with blood-red on the belly. The back is 
black, with transverse white lines; the wings ai.d tail 
black, beautifully barred with white; and the rump and 
tail coverts are white. The length of this bird is about 
ten inches. In its habits it resembles the preceding spe- 
cies, running about on the trunks and branches of trees, 
