190 BIRDS OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
170. Dernproricus CARDINALIS. Cardinal Woodpecker, 
Dendrobates fulviscapus, Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 237. 
This little Woodpecker has a wide range over the colony. Victorin 
shot it in the Karroo in January, and we have received it from 
Rondebosch, Beaufort, Colesberg, and the Knysna. Mr. Atmore 
has procured it near Eland’s Post, but as yet we have seen no 
specimen from Natal. Mr. Buckley found it in the Transvaal and 
also in Bamangwato, while Dr. Exton brought specimens from 
Kanye. The following note is extracted from Mr. Andersson’s work :— 
“This pretty little Woodpecker, though it cannot be said to be 
abundant, is the commonest of all those found in Damara and Great 
Namaqua Land, and is also tolerably numerous at Lake N’gami. It 
is a comparatively tame species, and is sometimes found singly, but 
more often in pairs; it usually frequents trees of moderate size, 
situated in the more scanty woods or on the banks of periodical 
watercourses.” 
Senor Anchieta has obtained it also at Humbe on the Cunene 
river, and also at Caconda in Benguela; and Mr. Monteiro has 
recorded its occurrence at Little Fish Bay. 
It affects the dead stumps of Huphorbias and Aloes; and reminded 
us, from this peculiarity, of the Indian P. maharattensis, which con- 
stantly keeps to the “ Candelabra euphorbia” of Ceylon. Le Vaillant 
states that they lay from five to seven white eggs. A pair breed 
annually in an old apple tree on Mr. Melck’s farm, at the Berg river, 
and they had riddled the branches with their holes. We were too 
late for the eggs in September, as the nests then contained young 
birds. 
General colour above, sepia-brown, barred all over with dirty- 
yellow or white; forehead brown; top and back of head crimson; 
under parts grey, striped on the breast, and barred on the belly and 
vent with the colour of the back; shafts of the wing and tail 
feathers, and underside of the latter, golden-yellow. Female 
resembles the male, but has the crimson of head replaced by dark- 
brown, approaching to black; bill bluish-grey in male, black 
in female; iris dark red (Buckley); bill greenish-slaty; legs and 
toes green, tinged with slate-colour (Andersson). Length, 6”; wing, 
3” 9""; tail, 2” 6”. 
Fig. Malh. Monogr, Pic. pl. 43, figs. 1, 2, 3. 
— 
