Picus viridis, LINNÆUS; Le Pic vert, BUFFON; Der Grünspecht,
BECHSTEIN.
The length of this bird is twelve inches and a half, but four and a half
of these are included in the tail, almost half of which is covered by
the folded wings. The beak, an inch and a half in length, is triangular,
very pointed, and of a dark grey; the iris is grey; the tongue is five
inches long, and furnished, like that of the other woodpeckers, with a
horny tip, and strong hairs on each side, so as to be useful in catching
and piercing insects. The top of the head to the nape of the neck is of
a brilliant crimson; a black streak, which in old birds is often tinged
with red, descends on each side of the neck; the upper part of the body
is of a beautiful olive green, the under part of a dusky greenish white:
some transverse lines may be seen on the belly, which become more
distinct on the sides.
In the female the colours are paler, and there is less red on the head,
which, when it is young, is only grey.
HABITATION.--When wild, the green woodpecker, during summer, frequents
woods and orchards which are near these, but when the air becomes
cold, and the snow begins to fall, it approaches villages, and flies
from one garden to another; it passes the night in the holes of
trees; when it finds dead, decayed, or worm-eaten ones, it pierces
them on all sides with its strong beak, in order to find the insects
they conceal. It never attacks a healthy tree, therefore it is not
right to kill it as being mischievous; it only taps the bark of trees
to make the insects come out, and its strokes are then so quick that
they resemble a humming.
In the house its fierce and impetuous character makes it necessary to
keep it in close confinement.
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.