s OEEEN WOODPECKER.
hv where (inly a small portion of Ibo timber was im.soULul, 1 discovered the borings extended hut a short
distance into the stem.
I noticed on several occasions lliat the male takes part in the duly of incubation and also of feeding the
young. In unler tu ascertain thin fact I captured four birds while on their eggs; and in three instances those
I secured wen- males.
The sexes may be easily distinguished, as the black mark that stretches like a moustache from below each
side of the beak contains a small patch of rod feathers in the male; these are absent in the female, liofore the
young birds quit the nest a few of these bright feathers have already made their appearance. The eye of the
nestling I remarked was a dirty greyish white. The hissing and snapping noise emitted by a brood of young
Woodpeckers whilo in the nest would most probably deter any one unacquainted with their note from exploring
the hole in winch they were eonccahd without due caution, as the sound could hardly be expected to proceed
from a bird.
Among the food which tins species eonveys to its young I have found small insects of various kinds, spiders,
ants and their eggs. The mouth and throat of an old male (killed accidentally while shooting specimens of the
young) were greatly distended by a large quantity of I u • > different kinds of ants' eggs, as well as numbers of the
insects themselves.
G R E A T S P O T T E D W O O D P E C K E R.
P1CUS MAJOR.
Tiioi'oii this species is occasionally obseri oil in considerable numbers on the north-east coast of Scotland at the
lime of migration, 1 am of opinion it is by no means plentiful at the present dale in the Tlighlands. The
remains of the old timber in the valley of the Spey, and in many other parts of Inverness and the adjoining
counties, indicate that Woodpeckers were formerly numerous in those districts, from reports 1 have gathered
from kis'pers and foresters in the various glens, I conclude the birds must have belonged to this species. On
some of the largest and oldest trees 1 have counted from twenty to thirty holes bored right into the centre of
the stem. According to the statements of my informants, it nppears tliat theso Woodpeckers commenced to
decrease in numliers about ]8f5 or lS.'iO. la many parts of the country only an occasional straggler was seen
for nearly thirty years. 1 discovered, however, on passing through several of these localities in l"s7S and 1679,
that n few pairs bad lately taken up their quarters in theso long-deserted haunts. The cause of their disappearance
iu the lirst instance was perfivlly unaccountable to all those with whom I conversed on the
Squirrels were accused by the keepers of destroy int.' the nests of Crossbills ami Siskins In some of the districts
where the Woodpecker had previously been abundant. I perceive these animals are supposed by more than
one writer to lie responsible for the scarcity of I'icin major. This is a subject on which I will not venture an
opinion. Though I havo frequently trapped squirrels by means of eggs, I never saw one in the aet of preying
on either young birds or eggs, and am consequently unable to give any information concerning their predatory
habits on my own authority.
I n Cumberland and Yorkshire I met with a few pairs of Larger Spotted Woodpeekers during the summer
mouths iu districts where largo timber abounded. Norfolk appears to be the most northern county in which
this species is to be found in any numbers. Occasionally, during the autumn and early winter, I have come
across a few birds in the plantations near the coast. These, in every instance where 1 obtained a chance of
examining them, were in the immature stage and, I believe, migrants from the north of Europe. I can find
no evidence among my notes of having received wings from the lightships off the cast coast; so I conjecture
it is most probable these birds were stragglers from some flock that had first made the laud on the inhospitable
shores of Shetland or Orkney, Caithness or Eastern Eoss, and then gradually worked their way towards the
south. In the vicinity of Norwich this Woodpecker is by no means uncommon; and there arc also residents in
various other parts of the county. Throughout Kent, Sussex, aud Surrey this species is very generally
distributed. I have observed a few specimens in several other counties iu addition to those named; and 1
believe the bird is more common than is usually supposed.
The food of this species is composed of iuseets of various kinds, for the most part extracted from the rough
bark of trees. 1 have observed the young fed on the flying ant, also a mixture of Hies, grubs, and other small
insects. Should the old bird be shot while carrying this description of food, it will be found that the greater