Food.—In its wild state it constantly seeks the insects which live under the bark and in the wood of trees; it also eats ants, and in winter will even take bees from the hive.
In the house it is fed on nuts, ants’ eggs, and meat.
Breeding.—The female lays three or four perfectly white eggs in the hole of a tree; if the young are to be tamed they must be taken from the nest when only half fledged; it is impossible to tame adults or old ones; we cannot even make them eat.
Attractive Qualities.—The beauty of its plumage is all that can be said of it; for it is so fierce, quick, and stubborn, that it can only be kept by means of a chain. I know no instance in which every kind of attention has rendered it more docile and agreeable: it is always untractable. One or two of these chained birds, however, do not look bad as a variety. It is curious to see them crack the nuts.
THE GREATER SPOTTED WOODPECKER.
Picus major, Linnæus; L’Lpeiche, ou Pic varié, Buffon; Der Grosser Buntspecht, Bechstein.
This bird is rather larger than a thrush, nine inches long of which the tail measures three and a half, and the beak one. The legs are three lines high, and of a bluish olive; the iris is bluish, with a white ring; the forehead yellowish brown; the top of the head and the back black; the nape of the neck crimson; the shoulders white, the wings and tail black, and streaked with yellowish white; the belly of a dirty reddish white, the part about the vent crimson.
The female has no red on the nape of the neck.
Habitation and Food.—This woodpecker continually ranges woods and orchards in search of its food, which consists of insects, beech-mast, acorns, nuts, and the seed of pines and firs. In order to crack the nuts, it fixes them in the clefts of the trees. The female builds its nest in the hole of a tree, and lays from four to six white eggs. Before moulting the head of the young ones is red. They must be taken early from the nest if they are to be tamed. They are fed and treated like the green woodpecker.