74 Mr. J. H. Gurney on Birds 



in plumage, wliich, however, he does not think sufficient to 

 constitute a species, he omits the measurements, which to 

 me seem worthy of note ; but as he points out the variations 

 in terms sufficient to form a scientific description, if, as I 

 think, the Zanzibar race is worthy of a separate title, Mal- 

 herbe's name should be reinstated, although zanzibaricus 

 would be a more correct form' of writing it/^ 



On comparing the male of Dendropicus zanzibari sent from 

 Mombasa with a male of D. cardinalis from Rustenburg, in 

 Transvaal, I observe the following differences of coloration 

 between them : — 



1st. In the Mombasa bird the brown patch on the forehead 

 is less extended, the distance from the junction of the fore- 

 head with the upper mandible to the commencement of the 

 scarlet crown being '45 inch, whilst in the Transvaal Wood- 

 pecker it is '75. 



2nd. The blackish-brown moustache running downward 

 from the angle of the mouth is much less conspicuous in the 

 Mombasa bird, being both shorter and narrower than in that 

 from Transvaal. 



3rd. The dark shaft-marks on the upper breast are also 

 narrower in the Mombasa specimen. 



4th. In the Mombasa bird the sliaft-marks on the abdomen 

 are even narrower than on the breast, and there are no traces 

 on the abdomen of the regular transverse blackish bars alter- 

 nating with dull white, which are conspicuous in the Trans- 

 vaal male"^. 



5th. In the Mombasa Woodpecker the under tail-coverts 

 are white, with one or two small brown circular spots on each 

 feather; in the Transvaal bird these coverts are transversely 

 barred like the abdomen, except that the dark bars are brown 

 instead of blackish. 



The following are measurements of two males of each 

 species, taken in two instances by Mr. Uargitt and in two by 

 myself. I do not give the total length, as, wheu merely 

 taken from a skin, I do not think it can be relied on. 



* In a female of D. cardinalis from Riistenburj? these transverse bars 

 are less regular and conspicuous than in tht." mule. 



