174 Mr. E. Hargitt on the Genus Gecinus. 



Under the title of Gecinus xanthopygius, Reicbenbach 

 (Haudb. Scans. Picinse, p. 350^ no. 802) describes a bird, 

 said to be from Java, which he considers as distinct from 

 G. vitiatus of Vieillot, and referable to the species described 

 by Hodgson as Brachylophus xanthopygceus. Now, it is 

 certain that the latter name was bestowed by Hodgson upon 

 a bird obtained in Nepal, and no one who has seen the un- 

 published coloured drawings by the latter author, now con- 

 tained in the library of the Natural History Department of 

 the British Museum, can have any doubt as to the identity 

 of Hodgson^s B. xanthopygcBus with G. striolatus of Blyth. 

 Reichenbach^s description of his G. xanthopygius is evidently 

 taken from the latter species, as the characters given are not 

 at all such as would lead one to believe that they belonged to 

 the Javan bird, G. vittatus. I should be more inclined to 

 think that the habitat stated by Reichenbach is an error, 

 than that G. striolatus ranges into Java. 



G. striolatus bears a striking resemblance to G. vir'idanus, 

 but may be distinguished from the latter by the malar patch 

 being greyish white, narrowly striped with black or dusky 

 olive, instead of intense black, more or less striped with pure 

 white, as in G. viridanus, also by having a very conspicuous 

 white superciliary stripe, and a second white stripe under the 

 ear-coverts; by its brilliant yellow rump and upper tail- 

 coverts, and its more barred tail, the penultimate feather 

 being conspicuously barred along its whole length ; and, 

 further, by the soft silky character of its plumage. The 

 same diflFerences in coloration of plumage exist in this species 

 as in G. viridanus, varying on the upper parts from vivid 

 green to golden olive, the rump in some specimens being 

 bright chrome-yellow, in others orange; this applies to both 

 sexes, Burmese examples exceed in size those from India. 

 In the former the average length of wing is 5*4 inches, 

 Indian birds having the average length of wing 5 inches. 

 Malabar specimens run smaller than those from the Hima- 

 layas. This Woodpecker has a very wide range, being found 

 in the Himalayas, Central and Southern India, Ceylon, 

 Assam, Cachar, and Burniah, and I have reason to believe 



