Foot -pads of the Young of the Green Woodpecker. 619 



XXXI. — On the Foot-pads of the Young of the Green Wood- 

 pecker. By Charles Stonham, C.M.G., F.R.C.S. 



(Text-figare 11.) 



In 'The Ibis' for 1890 (p. 411) there is a note, with two 

 woodcuts, by Dr. Giiather, drawing attention to the tuber- 

 culated thickening of the skin which covers the heel of the 

 young Wryneck {lynx torquilla). Dr. Giinther points out 

 that this modification must be regarded as an accessory 

 means of locomotion. I have for some time endeavoured 

 to obtain a young Woodpecker for purposes of comparison 

 and have succeeded this year. 



. Text-fig. 11. 



B 



Foot of nestling Green Woodpecker. 

 A. Left foot, shewing plantar surface. B. Do., giving lateral view. 



The accompanying text - figure shews that in the 

 Green Woodpecker {Gecinus viridis) there are heel-pads 

 precisely like those described by Dr. Giinther in the Wryneck. 

 I have not been able to obtain nestlings of either the Great 

 or the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, but it is practically 

 certain that they also possess these pads when quite young ^. 

 The drawings, by Miss L. M. Medland, are of life-size. 



* [The same structure has been stated to exist also in a Barbet ( Cyamps 

 asiatica). See Pycraft, Bull. B. O. C. viii. p. xl (1899).— Edd.] 



