2i6 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



was quite warm arnl had apparently died from natural causes." The bird was 

 forwarded to Mr. Macleay, Inverness, for preservation. 



Destination of Specimen. — In collection of the recorder, Frank J. Pullar, 

 Ellend House, Bridge of Allan. 



Recorded in " Annals Scot. Nat. Hist." July 1908. 



Footnote. — " Remarks" may consist of further Field Dissection or Cabinet Notes 



of Recorder. 1 



^ These Manifold Books, containing 50 leaves Thick Cream Paper, Printed, and 

 50 leaves Manifold Paper in each, forwarded to any address upon receipt of remit- 

 tance of IS. 3d. for each book ; or Pads containing 24 leaves each, all Thick 

 Cream Paper, Printed, 6d. each. — A. Megson & Sons, Manufacturing Stationers, 

 Bank Street, Leeds. 



ON THE ORIGIN OF THE PRESENT COLONY 

 OF SCOTTISH GREATER SPOTTED WOOD- 

 PECKERS. 



By William Evans, F.R.S.E. 



Now that the Greater Spotted Woodpecker has become 

 thoroughly estabHshed as a breeding species in the southern 

 half of Scotland, the interesting question arises, Is it to Eng- 

 land or to Scandinavia that we owe our present native stock ? 

 In other words, Have we here an instance of English birds 

 extending their breeding range northwards into Scotland, 

 or of Scandinavian visitants settling down in their winter 

 quarters ? To me the former of these alternatives seems the 

 more likely, and I believe I have found substantial evidence 

 in support of it. 



Dr. Ernst Hartert has shown (" Novitates Zoologicae," 

 December 1900) that the English bird is smaller, and has a 

 more slender bill than the typical Dendj'ocopus major inhabit- 

 ing Scandinavia and other parts of Northern Europe, and he 

 has consequently described the former as a subspecies under 

 the name of Dendrocopus major anglicus. " Its wing," he 

 states, " is considerably shorter, the whole bird smaller, the 

 bill much slenderer, and the underside, as a rule, much more 

 brownish buff." The wings (carpel joint to tip) of English 

 males before him measured 128, 129, 131, 132 mm.; 

 those of females 128, 130, 131 mm. The wing measure- 

 ment of D. major major he gives as 143-145 mm. in 



