148 THE BIRDS OF ESSEX.
Great Spotted Woodpecker : Dendrocopus major. Locally,
" French Magpie " (Saffron Walden).
A resident, though very sparsely distributed over the county. I
have very seldom seen the bird.
Mr. Clarke describes it (24) as " not unfrequent in woods " near Walden.
King says (20) it is " rare " round Sudbury, and Mr. Grubb writes (39), a speci-
men was "seen last winter (1875) by ray children to fly across our river and
settle among some trees on the other side." In the Parsons Collection is a speci-
men shot at Little Wakering in 1848. In April, 1883, I observed one here. It
" occurs in Loughton Manor " (Buxton 47. 86). Henry Doubleday, writing from
Epping in 1832, say? (10), " I have procured two eggs of the Pied Woodpecker
this year. The bird is scarce here, and I never saw the nest before." However,
both Edward Doubleday (15) and English (43. i. 24) include it in their lists of
Epping birds. Mr. Arthur Lister observed one in July, 1888, in Wanstead Park,
where he had formerly supposed it only a winter visitor. Mr. Hope says that it
is "common " at Upminster, and Dr. Laver informs me that it occurs in both the
Colchester and Paglesham districts. One was killed with a stick in Lexden
Park in 1882 (Spalding). At Harwich it is scarce, though it breeds (Kerry). Mr.
Travis says that in the vicinity of Saffron Walden, where it is rare, it is known
as the " French Magpie."
Green Woodpecker: Gecinus viridis. Locally, "Whetile,"
and "Yaffle," "Rain-bird" (E. A. F.) and "Heigh-ho" (E. A. F).
A fairly-common resident, especially in parks and thickly-tim-
bered districts, as round Danbury, Epping, Maldon, &c.
According to King (20), it was " not uncommon "
around Sudbury in 1838. Mr. Buxton says that it
(47. 86) " may be constantly heard tapping, and occa-
sionally seen, in the northern part of the Forest ; very
frequent about Cook's Folly, near Walthamstow."
It is getting " more common than formerly in the
Colchester district, but is decreasing in number round
Rochford " (Laver). At Harwich it is scarce, though
it breeds there (Kerry). Round Orsett, where there
is very little woodland, Mr. Sackett says it is " not
common," but adds that it is " fairly plentiful on and
around the Laindon Hills." In the summer of 1883, Mr.
Chas, Smoothy met with a nest containing young in
a hole, which I have seen, in an elm-tree at Little
Baddow, not more than two feet from the ground.
(29. Sept. 15). Mr. Fitch found twelve new nests
at Hazeleigh in 1888. The Rev. C. Swainson (48)
gives " Whetile " as its name in Essex and Herts
which he says is derived from the Anglo-Saxon thwitan, to cut, whence also
comes the Yankee verb "to whittle," according to Yarrell (14. ii. 137).
Wryneck: Iynx torquilla. Locally, " Snake-bird" and
"Cuckoo's Mate."
A fairly-common summer migrant, usually first heard about the