Mr. E. Hargitt on two Species of Woodpeckers. 75 



limitation Commission, the bird having been shot by Captain 

 Gore, R.E., on the 26th of October, 1881, at Padda Sultan, on 

 the Helmund. The species is allied to G. squamatus, but differs 

 from it in several important characters, which I give in my 

 diagnosis. The nature of the country in which the present 

 bird was found appears to be totally different from that inha- 

 bited by the true G. squamatus. Dr. Aitchison informs me that 

 the only indigenous trees are Populus euphratica and Tamarix 

 articulatu ; these grow in the bed of the river, with numerous 

 small tamarisks and reeds — the high banks beiug arid in the 

 extreme, and bare of any thing in the way of vegetation ex- 

 cept salsolaceous scrub. This was the only species of Wood- 

 pecker procured by Dr. Aitchison, and, unfortunately, the 

 specimen of which I am treating has been much injured 

 about the head and neck by water. It was carefully examined 

 by Dr. Aitchison, and proved to be a male, which one would 

 expect, as it possesses the red head which characterizes the 

 male of G. squamatus, and the same facial characters are to 

 be traced even in its imperfect state. Upon examining the 

 Gecini in the Hume Collection, I found a female of the pre- 

 sent species which had been procured at Quetta {cf. Swinhoe, 

 Ibis, 1882, p. 102) by Dr. Duke. It resembles the Padda- 

 Sultan bird in every respect, except that, being a female, it 

 has the black crown, occiput, and nape belonging to that 

 sex. I subjoin a brief diagnosis of the species, and, at Dr. 

 Aitchison^s request, I have named it after Capt. Gore, from 

 whom he received the specimen. 



Gecinus gorii, sp. n. 



Gecinus squamatus, Swinhoe, Ibis, 1882, p. 102 (nee 

 Vigors) . 



G. similis G. squamato, sed supra dilutius viridis ; tectricibus 

 alarum et scapularibus saturatiore viridi transfasciatis ; 

 plumis corporis inferioris squamosi linea nigra intra- 

 marginali tenui ornatis ; caudse fasciis transversis albis 

 latis, fasciis nigris angustioribus (his in G. squamato 

 latissimisj illis vero angustioribus) . 



Hub. In Afghania meridional i. 



This is a desert form of G. squamatus , distinguished by 



