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The material at my disposal is not sufficient to answer these qnestions satisfactorilj- ; 

 but it is evident that examples from the western parts of the continent are smaller 

 and have slenderer bills than those from the northern and eastern parts. This 

 might be either a geographicall)' limited character, or due to the greater prevalence 

 of leaved trees in the western countries. But, though I cannot at present separate 

 any subspecies on the European continent, 1 believe that the following review of 

 the subspecies of Dendrocopm major is correct : — 



1. Dendrocopus major major (L.). 



Typical locality Scandinavia, extending to Russia and Prussia. Large form, 

 wings in Sweden 143 — 145 mm., in East Prussia 138 — 142 mm. Bill very thick, 

 blunt and comparatively short, forehead buif, underside white, slightly tinged 

 with buff in freshly moulted plumage, and frequently stained. 



There are in Western and Southern Europe smaller forms with slenderer and 

 longer bills. Males from Ingelheim, on the Rhine, have the wings 136 — 141 mm., 

 males from Rentheudorf about 137 — 143 mm., two males from Bosnia 138 and 

 139 mm., ? Hesse 136 mm., ? Herzegovina 136 mm., ? France 136 mm., females 

 Ingelheim 133, 139, 140 mm., ? Belgium 142 mm. A Macedonian male has the 

 underside beautifully white and a very short bill. In parts of Asia Blinor examples 

 occur which seem to be similar to the one from Macedonia, and which do certainly 

 not belong to D. syriacus. None of these forms can at present be separated by 

 me, the material at my disposal being too scanty. 



2. Dendrocopas major anglicua subsp. nov. 



The British Woodpecker differs very strikingly when compared with 

 Scandinavian and East German examples. Its wing is considerably shorter, 

 the whole bird smaller, the bill much slenderer, and the underside, as a rule, much 

 more brownish buff. The wings of English males before me measure 128, 129, 131, 

 132 mm., those of females 128, 130, 131 mm. 



The type is an adult male shot near Horsham, in Susses, on January 2nd, 1895. 



England, but not known to l)reed in Scotland or Ireland. 



3. Dendrocopus major subsp. ? 



Corscia and Italy is inhabited by a Great Spotted Woodpecker which seems to 

 me separable as a good subspecies. The wing is comparatively short, the bill very 

 long and slender, the underside brownish, c? wing 140, 142 mm., $ wing 138 mm. 

 This latter female, shot, skinned and sexed by the late John Whitehead, has some 

 narrow red lines on the sides of the nape. It is to be seen if all Corsican females 

 have this peculiarity. I Ijelieve that the Italian examples (from the Apennines) are 

 like those from Corsica. I refrain from naming this form liefore I have studied a 

 larger material from Corsica and Italy. A specimen from Sardinia in the British 

 Museum is small and very dark below, approaching closely the Canariaa form. 



4. Dendrocopus major canariensis (Koenig). 



This insular subspecies differs from D. major major in its very long and pointed 

 bill and the narrower white bars to the outer rectrices, which appear thus much 

 more black. The forehead is buff, the underside brownish, sometimes not darker 



