Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 5 (1901).djvu/119

Rh

already recorded an observation on this bird in 'The Zoologist' (1900, p. 278), and, having made some further notes from personal observations, which may be of interest, I propose to set them out in detail.

The previous note was made on May 15th, and during the remainder of that month I was frequently able to watch the tapping process, and to confirm the theory of its being used as a call between these birds. I found that the tone of the note never varied appreciably when the same bough was made use of, and, although I discovered the bird tapping on other trees on two occasions, yet the dead pine-bough mentioned in my former note was evidently the favourite place, owing to its proving so excellent a sounding-board. At a distance of some fifty or sixty yards from this pine-tree stood a partially dead beech-tree, and at a height of twelve feet or thereabouts from the ground, in the face of the trunk, I observed a freshly made hole, beneath which chips of dry wood were scattered on the ground. Suspecting that my friends D. major were responsible for this hole, I kept a sharp look-out, with the result that on several occasions, as I approached the tree, I saw one of these birds hurriedly leave it, and fly away to a distance. I soon discovered that, with these birds, owing to their extreme shyness and marvellous keenness in sight, it was impossible to make further observations without my being concealed, and consequently I took up a position (May 23rd) behind the lower branches of a beech-tree, at a distance of five or six yards from the hole, of which I had an excellent view.

After waiting for a quarter of an hour, at 5.30 p.m., the male bird flew to the tree, and settled on a dead bough just above the hole. He executed a series of comical sideway jumps, at the same time peering about him cautiously, eventually tapping gently with his beak upon the branch on which he was perching;