Mr. E. Hargitt on the Genus Gecinus. 37 



session of Mr. J. H. Guriiey, jun. [vide 'Zoologist/ 1853, 

 p. 3800). Mr. Robert Birkbeck {op. cit. 1854, p. 4250) 

 mentions having seen three or four similar examples in the 

 Pisa Museum, 



Next to G. canus the present bird has the most extended 

 range of all the Gec'mi, inhabiting the greater part of Europe, 

 and being likcAvise found in Asia Minor and Persia. Wheel- 

 wright did not meet Avith this species in Lapland. In 

 Norway ; Dr. Collett records it from Tys Ejord, but it is 

 rarely found further north than latitude 60°. It was also 

 frequently observed by Mr. Hewitson during his visit to 

 Norway ; and in writing on the subject (Mag. of Zool. & Bot. 

 ii. p. 313, 1838) he supplies us with the following interesting- 

 note : — " We saw several near one of the churches, in the 

 steeple of which (being of wood) they had bored several 

 holes in which to deposit their eggs.'^ In Sweden its general 

 lange does not appear to be further north than latitude 60°, 

 although Herr Meves observed it as far north as Jeratland. 



In our own islands, Baikie and Heddle never found this 

 species in Orkney, but mention having heard of one or two 

 specimens being obtained. According to the best authori- 

 ties it appears to have occurred but rarely in Scotland. It 

 i^ also rare in the North of England, its true home being the 

 more southern counties. In the New Forest (proper) it is 

 tolerably plentiful, but is extremely rare in the Isle of Wight. 

 In Ireland, according to Thomson (Nat. Hist. Irel. i. p. 343, 

 1849), the present species could not, upon any good authority, 

 be said to have been procured up to that date ; but in his 

 Appendix, ii. p. 441, published in 1851, he records a spe- 

 cimen captured at Kilshrcwley, near Granard, co. Long- 

 ford, and gives such good authority for the statement as to 

 place the occurrence of the Green Woodpecker in the Sister 

 Isle beyond all doubt. Throughout France it is a common 

 species, and it ranges into S])ain as far as the Guadarrama 

 Mountains, vrhere it is replaced by G. sharpii. 



I have never seen any specimens of Gecinus viridis from 

 Portugal, and as Mr. W. C. Tait (' Ibis/ 1887, p. 304) in- 

 forms us that Gecinus sharpii is very abundant all over that 



