I 
HABITS 
Partial as th<=> Ceylon Woodpecker'Is to cocoanut groves and compounds con¬ 
taining Jack, bread-fruit, and other cultivated trees. It Is nevertheless 
found In the wilder districts, lnforest and jungle of all sorts. It Is a 
fearless bird and very active, running up and dound the stems of treess, 
searching for flowers and nut stalks at the heads of palms, and perpetually 
cramming Itself with Its favourite food, red ants, (Formica Stnaragdlna). 
Its usual note is the loud harsh call well known to most people In Ceylon 
besides which It delivers a loud trill while searching for food, ana on many 
occasions I have observed a pair working about the roots of large trees in 
the forest going through a little parlance or conversation quite unlike the 
oommon note. 
Its manners while feeding are quaint, striking loud blows and twisting 1 is 
head attentively on one side with a, view of finding out the whereabouts of 
its intended victims. It is also highly interesting to-a lover of nature i> 
witness a pair of these birds carrying on their courtship, as they jerk to 
and fro, round and up a bare cocoanut trunk, hammering and alternately cock¬ 
ing their heads on one side to listen, then feeding each other, and playing 
hide and seek round the stem uttering the whole time a low love chattering* 
T he rattle which this Woodpecker performs when sounding a hollow branch 
for insects is quite as rapid as that af Layard’s Woodpecker, but not so pow¬ 
erful* I have observed it sound a branch many times, twisting its head in¬ 
to a listening attitude after each series of strokes before it gave up the 
task as unsuccessful. The harsh call above mentioned is uttered while the 
bird is in flight; it is, as Layard mentions, sustained, “by short rapid 
jerks repeated at considerable intervals*. 
This species is very fond of searching about the flowers of the cocoanut 
palm, which abound in various insects on which it feeds, and this habit has 
caused the natives to think that it resorts to the tops of the cocoanuts for 
the purpose on feeding on the toddy. 
Perhaps the most remarkable feature in this bird's economy is its extra¬ 
ordinary pugnacity. It is particularly addicted, to fighting with the Black 
Woodpecker, disputing with it the right of entrance into the holes which the 
latter has perhaps excavated for its nest. It is however not more amiable 
to those of its own kin. Mr Parker writes me an account of a combat which 
he once witnessed, and comments on the disposition as follows. “I think 
the Red Woodpecker is one of tHe most fearless, among its fellows, of any 
bird I have seen. One day, when examining a tank, I heard a tremendous 
screaming in a large tree, and I found there two Red Woodpeckers fixed, ver ,- 
