PICID.E MESOPICUS 139 



Its most southerly limit is in Pondoland, whence it extends 

 through the greater part of the Transvaal, Bechuanaland, Ehodesia, 

 and German south-west Africa, from Great Namaqualand (where 

 it is very rare) to Angola ; north of the Zambesi this bird is found 

 in Nyasaland and German east Africa to about the latitude of 

 Zanzibar. 



The following are South African localities : Cape Colony — Near 

 Port St. Johns (S. A. Mus.) ; Zululand— Hlabisa, Echowe (Wood- 

 ward) ; Transvaal — Swaziland (Buckley), Komatipoort (Francis in 

 S. A. Mus.), Zoutspansberg (W. Ayres), Eustenburg (Ayres) ; Bechu- 

 analand — Kanye (Exton), Macloutsi river (Gates), Lake Ngami 

 (Andersson) ; Ehodesia — Eamequeban river (Gates), Umfuli and 

 Quaequae rivers in Mashonaland (Ayres) ; German south-west 

 Africa^Great Namaqualand, scarce (Andersson), Omaruru in 

 Damaraland (Eriksson), Ondonga in Ovampoland (Andersson); 

 Portuguese east Africa — Tete and Zambesi valley, common (Kirk 

 and Alexander). 



Habits. — The Bearded Woodpecker seems nowhere plentiful 

 except in the Zambesi valley ; it is partial to mimosa bush, where 

 it may be seen flying swiftly from tree to tree, uttering a loud harsh 

 scream ; in such localities its loud tapping can be often heard ; 

 this seems to form a kind of call-note, as it is generally answered 

 at a distance by the bird's mate, each call consisting of four regular 

 taps. Like other Woodpeckers its food consists of insects and 

 grubs found on and under the bark of trees. No one has observed 

 the nesting habits of this bird since the time of Levaillant; he states 

 that the eggs are four in number and white, and that both male and 

 female share in the duties of incubation. 



Genus V. MESOPICUS. 



Type. 

 Mesopicus, Malh. Mem. Acad. Metz, 1848-9, p. 340 M. goertan. 



Bill moderate, about as long as the head, the nasal shelf well 

 marked and broad, its bounding ridge joining the cutting edge of 

 the mandible about two-thirds of the way down ; chin angle well in 

 advance of the nostrils, which are concealed by plumes ; wing 

 moderately pointed, the difference between the primaries and 

 secondaries about two-thirds the length of the culmen; tarsus only 

 slightly longer than the outer posterior toe without claw, which 



