364. BRITISH BIRDS. 
GECINUS VIRIDIS. 
GREEN WOODPECKER. 
(Prate 18.) 
Picus viridis, Briss. Orn. iv. p. 9 (1760); Linn. Syst. Nat. 1. p. 175 (1766); et 
auctorum plurimorum—Latham, Temminck, Naumann, Bonaparte, (Newton), 
(Dresser), &e. 
Gecinus viridis (Briss.), Bote, Isis, 1831, p. 542. 
Gecinus pinetorum, 
Gecinus frondium, | Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. pp. 197, 199 (1831). 
Gecinus virescens, 
Brachylophus viridis (Briss.), Swains, Classif. B. ii. p. 808 (1857). 
Chloropicus viridis (Briss.), Malh, Monogr. Picid. ii. p. 118, pl. Ixxix. figs. 14 
(1862). 
The Green Woodpecker is a somewhat local resident, but is generally 
distributed throughout the woodland districts of England and Wales, 
becoming rarer north of Yorkshire. In Scotland and Ireland it is only 
known as a very rare accidental visitor. It is doubtful whether more than 
two or three examples have ever been obtained in Scotland; it has not 
occurred in the Shetland Islands, and the evidence of its occurrence in 
Orkney is very vague. It is not known that more than two examples have 
ever occurred in Ireland. 
The range of the Green Woodpecker is somewhat restricted, being 
confined to the western portions of the Palearctic Region, and not extending 
to the Arctic circle. This species has not been found in the Faroe Islands, 
and is not known to breed in Norway north of lat. 63°. In Sweden and 
Russia it does not breed north of lat. 60°, and it is doubtful whether it be 
found even so far north in the east of the latter country. There is no 
record of its occurrence east of the Ural Mountains. It has not occurred 
in Turkestan ; but appears to be found throughout Western Persia and 
Asia Minor, although it has not been met with in Palestine. It is generally 
distributed throughout Southern Europe ; but has not been found south 
of the Mediterranean. In the Algerian forests it is represented by a nearly 
allied species, Gecinus vaillantit, differing principally in having the fore- 
head and the region round the eye slate-grey instead of black, and in 
having no scarlet on the black moustachial line of the male. Examples 
from Central and Southern Spain are intermediate in colour between this 
and the typical form, having the moustachial stripe of the latter, but the 
region round the eye coloured like the former, and are probably the result 
of interbreeding. They have been called G. sharpit. 
The Green Woodpecker has several other very near allies. The eastern 
