SCANSORES. 155 



tertials. They vary considerably in botli respects in both localities. 

 An example from Sakhalien, collected by Dr. Schrenck, leads, through 

 an example from the Amoor, up to the arctic race. 



Dr. Stejneger regards the Great Spotted Woodpeckers of Yezzo as 

 specifically distinct from those of Hondo (Stejneger, Proc. United 

 States Nat. Mus. 1886, p. 109) on the ground that the latter are 

 darker on the underparts, and have much less white on the scapulars. 

 Examples from the Kurile Islands and from Yezzo are on an average 

 slightly whiter on the underparts than birds from Southern Japan, 

 but in the amount of white on the scapulars they do not differ. 

 The scapulars are always white with concealed black bases. 



It is the commonest Woodpecker in the mountains of Central 

 Hondo (Jouy, Proc. United States Nat. Mus. 1883, p. 307). 



137. PICUS MINOR. 

 (LESSER SPOTTED WOODPECKER.) 



Picus minor, Liuneus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 176 (176G). 



The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is a small species (wing from 

 carpal joint about 3| inches), with the front part of the crown white 

 (suffused with red in the male) and with the hinder part of the 

 crown and the nape black. 



Figures : Dresser, Birds of Europe, v. pi. 282. 



The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is a resident on Yezzo ; but is 

 not known to have occurred in Southern Japan. I have an example 

 from Hakodadi, collected by Captain Blakiston (Seebohm, Ibis, 1879, 

 p. 29) on the 11th of May. 



The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker has a very wide range from the 

 Azores and the British Islands into Algeria, and across Europe and 

 Siberia to Kamtschatka and the north island of Japan. With such 

 an extensive distribution it is not surprising that it may be sub- 

 divided into various climatic races. The arctic race extends across 

 Lapland and Siberia, and may be called Picus minor pipra. The 

 underparts, with the exception of a few dark streaks on the under 

 tail-coverts, are pure white, and tlie black transverse bars on the 

 lower back and rump are very obscurely indicated. If the typical 

 form be that which occurs in Southern Scandinavia (which was pre- 



