Black Woodpecker agrees, as. far as its-,history can be ga*
thered from tbe works of European Ornithologists.' The egg
of this, b ird J s ^exactly, like -that of our well-known Green
Woodpecker in shape and colour, but is considerably larger.*
One specimen, in the possession of Mr. Wilmot, whose rich
collection was referred to in the account of the Nutcracker,
last descried, is one inch four lines -long, and one inch- on®
line im breadth. According to M.-Temminck,' the Black
Woodpecker lays three eggs, and in default of finding insect
food, will feed on nets, seeds* or berries, i
The Black Woodpecker is not found in Holland,,but M.
Vieillot and Polydore Roux include it among the birds, -of
France and Provence. M. Necker says its#-mot uncommon
in the pine forests of the mountains oibSwitzerland, .and M.
Savi also says that it is' not un&o'mlnon on the mountains ,of
Savoy and in the Tyrol, occasionally in winter appearing in
the vicinity of Rome. Mr. H. E. Strickland, in - his Cata-*
loffue of birds obtained or seen in Asia Min orb mentions that
he saw a speciriien of this Woodpecker in the ypossessiom of
Mr. Zohrab, at Broussa, which was shot in the pine fprests’Of
Mount Parnassus. Northward, it is a native ^fsEenmarky
Sweden, and Norway. / Mr. Ilewitson, in reference - to the
Birds of Norway, "says, §8 In two instanceson! yr.the-Great.
Black Woodpecker was seen at -a distance, butt?so,-wild,.that
it was impossible to approach i t ; on, the wing'it lookslike a
Crow, and its notes resemble a loud'hoarse laugh.'”' ; It is
found in Germany, and from thence: to the most northern
parts of Russia and Siberia; this bird, therefore, has an ex-;
tended latitudinal range.
The male:—Beak as long as the head, rather conical in
shape, with a well-defined, elevated, ;eentral ridge, extending
the whole length of the upper mandible from the, base to. the
point; in colour it is black at the end, passing by a bluish
hom colour to almost white at the base ; a small tuft of black,
■ hairlike ^feathers/extending forwards above each nostril; the
friges straw colour ■; the upper surface of- the head is covered
with feathers that are- black- at the base, but tipped with rich
arterial; ^eff^formingpa cap which reaches? to the occiput
; il^|;|wh#li' of frhe‘»)ody,r of the vbird|jbotii above and
below, the, wings and the-tail, .ar'eKof uniform black, of which
the under.surface^ of thembody is i^ tl^ r more dull in colour
than the.mfjperthe tarn partly covered'? with black feathers*
the-, toes* and/ chM bluish blacky mf the two toes, directed
b a |Jj^n fi' th®mner toe fr enly-half as long as the outer one;
the?- claw|Mf'3ll tbe tbes5grcatly curved, strong, andveharp.
~~ Tha w,h^^leng^'f6f’-®fc6- specimen dchcrilled was sixteen
inches^- Tbe' wing from tha" carpal joint to the end nine
jjnSlie^ tbe- first '-feather *We|L,‘ and .only about |wo inches
in length';- the sVcOntl feather about five Inches long, also'
pointed?^ and,;equal in lengthltff the - ninth ; the thfrd .shorty?
than,the fourtl^i&h; !bi'.si^th which are about equd, and the
feflg.est in.th^-'Vvihgl The two middl'e^featherS of the tail are
the lcfl|gf^tSFP^^Pside feafehefs'/Ma shortest^ but all are stiff,
andbut slightlpelastic, the shafts being very thick and strong.
In therein ale the crim sop, colour/ ' Ig^enfi-n ed to the& back
p a r t . h e a d . . a n d in young males the top of.the head is
only s-pptted with red.; t
The figure below, represents^ the character and position, of
the toes inS,e Woodpeckers.