A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK lOi. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Dtndro- copus minor (Linn.) This is much the smallest of the three British woodpeckers, and is a resident as common as the great spotted, but seldom seen. It is difficult to say whether the local names of ' wood-jar,' * wood-nail ' and ' grain-bird ' are meant for this bird or the larger species, as the singular noise alluded to above and suggested by the names is common to both. ' Grain-bird ' may have some connection with the ' grain ' of the wood, and was given by an intelligent old labourer who accurately des- cribed the sound. The tiny nesting-hole of the lesser spotted woodpecker is usually bored in dead wood at some height above the ground, so that to examine the nest and its contents involves some risk. The eggs much resemble those of the wryneck, but are slightly smaller. The large black woodpecker {Picus martius) is reported to have been seen in Suffolk, but as its claim to be even a British bird is very doubtful, nothing but the production of a specimen in the flesh in so fresh a state as to show beyond a doubt that it was not imported from Norway or Sweden will ever satisfy critical naturalists. 102. Kingfisher. Alcedo ispida, Linn. This richly-coloured little bird is a resident, breeding in the banks of streams and some- times in the side of a crag-pit {Zoologist, 1870, p. 2,022). It seems also to a certain extent to be migratory, as many are observed about dykes and rivers near the coast in the autumn, and one was killed by striking the Orford lighthouse on 25 March, 1884, which sug- gests that the bird had wintered in the south, and was returning to breed in Suffolk. The kingfisher bores a hole for itself, and fresh ' whitewash ' at the entrance is a pretty sure sign that the eggs are laid. It is an early breeder, as even in the north of England a full clutch of seven eggs has been found by the middle of April. Occasionally the nest is spoiled by heavy rains flooding the stream and causing the water to rise above the en- trance hole, an instance of which occurred near Woolpit in the early summer of 1889. Few birds suffered more than the kingfisher in the frost of 1 890-1, which lasted eight weeks and caused the death of many, some from being shot and others from actual star- vation. There were six in the flesh in a shop at Bury on 17 December. 103. Roller. Coracias garruius, hinn. This splendid bird has occurred a few times in the eastern part of the county on its spring and autumn migrations, the last recorded having been obtained at Burgh Castle in September, 1892. 104. Bee-Eater. Merops apiaster, Linn. A far rarer visitant to England than the roller, and there are only two or three records from Suffolk. 105. Hoopoe. Upupa epops, Linn. A Suffolk man reporting the appearance of a hoopoe would probably describe it as ' a wholly pretty bird with a topple-crown,' and any one who has once seen it alive is certain to recognize it again. Perhaps it is hardly com- mon enough to be called a regular summer visitant, but most outdoor naturalists in East Anglia have come across it at least once in their career. Near Lowestoft no less than thirteen were obtained in the April and May of 1859, and Mr. Hele used to meet with it from time to time at Aldeburgh. There is no record of it having attempted to breed in the county. 106. Cuckoo. Cuculus canerus, Linn. The year 1894 was a 'record year' for early cuckoos throughout the country, and in Suffolk Colonel Butler observed two at Bret- tenham Park on 4 April. At Tostock the cuckoo was seen and heard on 9 April, but these dates are a good fortnight in advance of the usual time for the arrival of this summer migrant. The following rhymes were lately taken down at the fireside of a cottager, who said he had heard the first * more than sixty year ago ' : — In April he show his bill. In May he sing night and day, In June he change his tune. He wait till July, away he fly, If he wait till August away he must — go. The cuckoo is a pretty bird, he sing as he fly, He bring us good tidings and tell us no lie. To the latter another authority adds : He suck the pretty birds' eggs to make his voice clear. And the more he sing ' cuckoo ' the summer draw near. This well known bird is found all over Suffolk, and its eggs which are laid from May to July are most often deposited in the nests of the robin, sedge- warbler, reed-warbler, hedge-spar- row, pied wagtail and meadow-pipit. Taking the county through it is probable that more cuckoos' eggs are placed in the nest of the hedge-sparrow than of any other bird, and that the meadow-pipit would come in a 'good second.' The greenfinch, linnet and yellow bunting are less frequently chosen as foster- 192
