278 SKETCHES OP EUROPEAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



summer and winter seasons, is admirably illustrated in the two 

 figures of the adult male, which Mr. Gould has here delineated 

 with his wonted grace and fidelity. 



Plate XIX. — The Great Black Woodpecker, — Picns Martins, 

 ( — niger, Brisson, — Twaj^iwtt*, Ray), — Pic noir, F., — Piechio Corvo, 

 It., — Schwarztspecht, G. This rare and beautiful bird, a native of 

 north Europe, has been repeatedly killed in our own island ; and at 

 length, however tardily, been recognized, by Selby, as a British 

 bird. It is the largest and most powerful of the European Picidse, 

 The prevailing colour of the body is deep-black ; the crown of the 

 head in the male — the occiput only in the female — " bright arterial 

 blood-red." The figure of the latter, as partially represented by 

 iMr. Gould, is excellent ; that of the male, in our view, rather too 

 angular and scraggy about the head and neck. Nigro-coccineus 

 would form an appropriate specific designation for this bird. 



Plate XX. — The Lesser Grey Shrike, — Col/urio minor, — CLa- 

 nius minor, Linneeus), — Pie-Grieche a Poitrine Rose (Rose-breasted 

 Shrike) of Temminck, — ^Velia Genezia Mezzana, It., — Grauer Vur- 

 ger, oder Schwartzstieniger, G. The modem genus, Collurio, is 

 distinguished from Lanius by the graduated tail, and short rounded 

 wing, of the species composing it. Our present subject is, however, 

 regarded, by Gould, as rather forming a link between the two gene- 

 ra, than belonging strictly to either. In size, it is inferior to La- 

 nius excuhitor ; which it closely resembles in habits and general cha- 

 racter of plumage. For the amusement and information of the 

 reader, who may not have access to the Manuel of Temminck, we 

 shall transcribe, from that excellent work, the description of the 

 bird. It will afford a fair example of the Dutchman's style, and be 

 found to correspond well with the figures, as delineated by Gould ; 

 and by Werner in the seventh plate of the seventh Livraison of his 

 Atlas des Oiseaux d' Europe. 



" Forehead, region of the eyes and ears black ; occiput, nape, 

 and back, ash-grey ; throat white ; breast and flanks, of a rose-red ; 

 wings black ; on the quills, only a white mark ; first tail-feather 

 white ; on the second, black along the stem ; on the third, a great 

 black spot, terminated with white ; on the fourth, a more conside- 

 rable black spot, with an extremity of pure white ; the four middle 



