254 piciD^. 



Drvobates minor, Gir/l. Ihis, I860, p. 58. 



Piciis minor, var. pipra, ColMt, Norpes Furjlef. p. 310 (1881). 



Picus pipra {non Pall.), Blakist. S^ Prycr, Trans. As. Soc. Jap. 1882, 



p. 133 ; Seeb. Uis, 1882, p. 374. 

 Picus minor pipra, Blakist. Chrysatitk. iii. p. 28 (1883). 



Adult male. Upper back and upper scapulars black, the lower 

 scapulars white narrowly barred with black ; remainder of the 

 back barred black and white ; rump and upper tail-coverts black ; 

 wing-coverts black, the median series having a subapical white bar 

 or spot, the greater coverts being spotted with white on both webs ; 

 bastard-wing and exposed portion of primary-coverts black ; quills 

 black, spotted with white upon both webs, the innermost being 

 barred across with wliito ; shafts brownish black ; the four central 

 tail-feathers black, the nest one on either side black at the base, 

 the tip and the margin of half the outer web white, with a subapical 

 black bar ; the two outer large feathers on either side white, nar- 

 rowly barred with black on both webs, the extreme base black ; 

 dwarf feather black, tipped with white ; shafts corresponding in 

 colour with the surrounding web ; lores white ; a broad frontal 

 band of pale buff, brownish at the base ; crown crimson, with 

 partly concealed white spots, the bases of the feathers dusky ; outer 

 edge of the crown, the occiput, nape, and hind neck black ; sides of 

 the face and neck white, the ear-coverts palo brown ; a black 

 malar stripe bordering the throat and fore neck, and passing 

 behind the ear-coverts but not joining the occiput, the black widen- 

 ing on the side of the neck and forming a conspicuous patch : from 

 the chin to the under tail-coverts (inchisive) brownish white, the 

 chin and upper throat whiter, narrowly striped with black on the 

 sides of the chest and of the body, also on the flanks and thighs ; 

 the under tail i^overts having heart-shaped or sagittate spots of 

 black; under wing-coverts white, with, at most, a few dusky spots; 

 on the edge of the wing a conspicuous patch of black ; axillaries 

 white. Total length 5-8 inches, culmen 0-76, wing 3-6, tail 2-4, 

 tarsus 0-6 ; toes (without claws) — outer anterior 0-38, outer 

 posterior 0--16, inner anterior 0-33, inner posterior 0-22. 



Adult female. Has no red on the head, the forehead and fore 

 part of tiie crown being buily white. Total length 5-8 inches, 

 culmen 0-65, wing 3-6, tail 2-27, tarsus 0-6. 



NcstUiK/ ((^ ■?). Is of a more sooty-brown colour above; the 

 centre (only) of the crown crimson, the feathers being dingy white 

 at the base ; the base of the frontal band not dusky brown. In 

 other respects resembles the adult. 



Southern examples of this species are smaller and darker below 

 than typical birds, and the striations on the underparts are broader 

 and blacker. In the Altai mountains, South-eastern Siberia, and 

 the region of the Amour, birds are to be found almost identical with 

 typical examples of both D. minor and T). pipra, while others are 

 intermediate between these two forms. In Yezo the bird is not 

 typical, although I place it under D. minor. 



Hah. Europe, generally, and extending east through the moun- 



