128 
PICTURES OF BIRD LIFE. 
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points out unerringly, if he will be content to learn from it, what trees are begin¬ 
ning to decay. Waterton explains that a small fungus often proceeds from the ash, 
which ripens in summer and then falls, owing to the winter’s rain. The bark which 
it has perforated is now completely dead, and soon becomes touchwood. Insects 
seize upon it as a snug hiding-place, and speedily the titmouse or Woodpecker visit 
it, and, enlarging the hole, kill the insects and form their nests within, if the latter 
bird can be credited with such a superfluity. 
A still larger member of this family is the Great Woodpecker (P. martins). 
This fine bird is seventeen inches long, dressed in black, with the exception of the 
upper part of the head, which is bright red. It is a common bird throughout the 
great forests of Northern Europe, extends to Persia and Asia Minor, and is even 
found in some parts of North and South America. Its habits are precisely similar 
to those of the Green Woodpecker, but in addition to insects it devours fruit, 
berries, and nuts with avidity. It lays two or three eggs of an ivory whiteness in 
the hollows of trees. In Norway it is described when on the wing as resembling a 
crow, and its notes consist of a hoarse loud laugh. In Germany it is very common, 
and is a great destroyer of trees. It has not been found as yet in Ireland, but was 
claimed by Sir R. Sibbald as a Scotch bird. Some have doubted whether this 
Woodpecker should be included amongst British birds ; but a few specimens have 
been killed, principally in the west of England and in Yorkshire, so that we are 
justified in describing it here. It is so strongly-marked a bird that from this 
account it is hoped some observant eye may again detect it in England. 
Our other two British species are the Great and the Lesser Spotted ( P . major 
and P. minor), which are respectively nine and five inches and a half long. The 
former bird is black and white above, dirty white below, but the under parts by the 
tail and the crest are crimson. The female only differs in not possessing this 
crimson patch on the crown. It is less frequent in England than the Green Wood¬ 
pecker, but its habits are much the same, except that it does not seem to descend 
to the earth in search of food. The eggs are five, white; and deposited, as with the 
other members of the family found in Great Britain, in a hole of a tree, but with 
no pretence of a nest. This bird is said to cause great havoc among orchard fruit. 
It makes a most curious resounding noise with its bill upon trees. This is a 
common spring sound in the districts which they inhabit, and may be heard at a 
great distance. We have heard it in Devonshire, and were at first much puzzled to find 
its origin. The Great Spotted Woodpecker does not seem to wander so far from its 
own favourite locality as does the Green Woodpecker—at least, such is our experience. 
