20 Mr. E. Hargitt on the Genus lyngipicus. 



liills (//. H. Godwin-Austen) , in both of which the upper 

 tail-coverts are margined with white. In the same collection 

 there is the typical bird^ also from the Khasia hills, in which, 

 of course, the upper tail- coverts are black. It follows, there- 

 fore, that many of the Pygmy Woodpeckers are rather races 

 or subspecies than true and clearly defined species ; that is 

 to say, that in many cases the diagnostic characters may be 

 perfectly true for ten out of eleven birds, but that in the 

 eleventh there may be a variation in the spotting or uniformity 

 of the central tail-feathers, which prevents one gi^^ng an abso- 

 lute specific definition that will hold good of every specimen 

 procured. In the latter part of this paper I have endeavoured 

 to give the correct synonymy of the different species of 

 lyngipicus. Mr. Hume, in his able review of the lyngipici 

 of India, refers to the synonymy as somewhat confused. He 

 is indeed right; and I only hope that in my future studies of 

 Woodpeckers I may not find the nomenclature in quite such 

 a tangle as in the present instance. Nor is it possible to con- 

 template without regret the labours of two monographers 

 of the Picidse ; for it is undoubtedly to Professor Reichenbach 

 and M. Malherbe that we owe much of the confusion now 

 existing in the genus. The former author, while ignorant 

 of several well-known and perfectly characterized species, 

 has created some new ones, which have puzzled ornithologists 

 ever since. Nor are his efforts aided by the very indifi'erent 

 plates (to speak of them mildly) which accompany his work. 

 The monograph of M. Malherbe, again, bears every trace, in the 

 letterpress, of careful study, and a desire to unravel difficult 

 questions ; but he has decidedly confused the members of the 

 present genus, while he would appear to have left his artist 

 to his own devices. Now, every one knows that even the 

 best draughtsman requires, and every good one wishes, to be 

 shown the points which should be brought into prominence 

 in figuring a species ; and this is not done in the case of Mal- 

 herbe's plates. The mere fact of his having allowed Oudart 

 to draw a Sasia with four toes, shows that there was a lack 

 of careful supervision over the illustrations ; and no one will 

 find much assistance from Malherbe's figures of the lyngipici. 



