PICARIAN BIRDS AND PARROTS OF CEYLON. 201 
GECINUS CHLOROGASTER (Blanford, Vol. III., p. 25). 
CHRYSOPHLEGMA XANTHODERUS (Legge, p. 197). 
The South Indian Yellow-naped Woodpecker. 
Description.—Male: The feathers of the forehead, crown, 
crest, and a stripe down the jaw crimson with greenish-black 
bases ; nape yellow. Upper plumage and wing coverts olive- 
green, the greater coverts golden-olive. Wing quills dark 
brown with some white spots; the outer webs of the inner 
primaries and secondaries orange-red bordered with bronze- 
green; tail black. Lores dusky; face, throat, and under 
parts dull green ; the throat, abdomen, and flanks more or 
less barred with white ; the breast generally unspotted. 
Female: Forehead and crown dark olive, the crimson 
cheek stripe is wanting, otherwise it resembles the male. 
Bill blackish, the sides of the lower mandible and the edge 
of the upper mandible near the gape yellowish ; iris brownish- 
red ; legs greenish-olive. 
Length 9°5; wing 4°65; tail about 3°50; tarsus *80; 
bill from gape 1-0; females are a little smaller. 
Distribution.—Apparently confined to the southern half of 
the Island. It is found in the Western Province and Galle 
District. I have occasionally seen it north of Tangalla, and 
it occurs in the Eastern Province. It is also met with in 
the hills, mainly in Sabaragamuwa and Uva. In India it 
occurs on the Malabar Coast and the Western Ghauts up 
to 5,000 feet. 
Habits, &c.—Rather a shy bird, found in forest country, 
especially near streams, and in decayed gardens where there is 
plenty of undergrowth. It may sometimes be seen on the 
ground breaking open dried cowdung in search of beetles. 
It feeds also on ants. 
In India this species breeds about March and April, making 
the usual nest hole in a tree in the jungle. One to three, but 
generally two, white eggs are laid. The texture is hard and 
glossy, the shape a long oval. Average measurement about 
1 by °74. 
