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ON THE 

 ENGLISH AND OTHER GREEN WOODPECKERS. 



BY 



ERNST HARTERT. 



While studying the Green Woodpeckers in connexion with 

 nay work on the pal?earctic birds, I found that not less than 

 five forms must be distinguished within Europe alone. 



The name Pious viridis viridis L. must be restricted 

 to the birds from Scandinavia, the greater part of Russia, 

 and north-eastern Germany (east Prussia). 



Central European birds differ from the northern form 

 in having shorter bills and shorter wings, and being 

 generally smaller ; the oldest name for this form is Picus 

 viridis pinetorum (Brehm.) As the various forms have 

 not hitherto been distinguished, the exact distribution 

 of this form cannot be stated. 



English Green Woodpeckers are, as might have been 

 presumed, nearest to the Central European form, but 

 the mngs are still shorter, those of thirteen males 

 measuring 157 — 161, those of twelve females 158 — 163, 

 against 162 — 167.5 mm. in P. v. piiietorurn. Moreover 

 the bill is shorter, but not slenderer, so that it appears 

 to be rather stronger and more stumpy. The English form 

 requires therefore a new name, and I propose to call it: 



Picus viridis pluvius, subsp. nov., 

 because of the well-known ancient superstition that its 

 call is a sign of approaching rain. 



Type : S ad., no. 2946, Tring Museum, 28.4.1903, 

 Ninfield, Sussex. Collector : Mr. W. Ruskin Butterfield. 



Italian Green Woodpeckers have the same measure- 

 ments as the English ones, but the beak is considerably 

 slenderer ; wings about 156 — 161 mm. I name this form : 

 Picus viridis pronus, subsp. nov.. 



Type S ad., 20.1.1902, Firenzola, near Florence. 

 Specimens from Greece are evidently inseparable from 

 Italian ones. 



The fifth European form is Picus viridis sharpei, from 

 Spain, the differences of which have been sufficientl}^ 

 described by Saunders, Hargitt, Dresser, and others. 



