THE GREEN WOODPECKERS. 5 



Europe, and its range extends across Southern Sibeiia to 

 Manchuria and Corea. 



THE GREEN WOODPECKERS. GENUS GECINUS. 



Gecl/ius, Boie, Isis, 183 1, p. 542. 



Type, G. viridis (Linn.). 



This genus constitutes a famihar Old World type of Wood- 

 pecker, comprising seventeen species, all greatly resembling 

 each other in appearance. The best-known is our European 

 bird, G. viridis^ which is represented in Spain by Sharpe's 

 Green Woodpecker {G. sharpii), and in North-east Africa by 

 Vaillant's Green Woodpecker {G. vaillanti), while in the differ- 

 ent parts of Europe and Asia other species are distributed ; 

 several being inhabitants of the Indian Region as far south as 

 Sumatra and Java. 



In the genus Gecinus the feathering of the neck is full (in 

 many species, called the "Narrow-necked " Woodpeckers, the 

 plumage of the neck is very scanty), the opening of the nostrils 

 is covered with close-set feathers or bristles, the outer anterior 

 toe is about equal in length to the outer posterior toe, which, 

 again, is equal in length to the tarsus. The wing is moderately 

 long, and the tail is composed of strong and spiny feathers, 

 the outer one on each side being so short that it is often 

 overlooked, as it is hidden by the under tail-coverts ; this is 

 called the "dwarf" tail-feather. The bill is nearly straight, 

 and there is a distinct ridge in the culmen (cf. Hargitt, Cat. 

 Birds Brit. Mus. xviii. p. 3). 



THE GREEN WOODPECKER. GECINUS VIRIDIS. 

 {Plate XXXIL). 



Piais viridis, Linn. S. N. i. p. 175 (1766) ; Macg. Br. B. iii. p. 



91 (1840). 

 Geci?ius viridis, Dresser, B. Eur. v. p. 77, pi. 285 (1871); 



Newton, ed. Yarr. Br. B. ii. p. 457 (1881) ; B. O. U. List 



Br. B. p. 79 (1883); Seebohm, Br. B. ii. p. 364 (1884); 



Saunders, Man. p. 263 (1889); Hargitt, Cat. B. Brit. 



Mus. xxiii. p. 36 (1890) ; Lilford, Col. Fig. Br. B. pt. xvi. 



(1890). 

 Adult Male. — General colour above uniform yellowish-ohve; 



