188 Mr. E. C. Stuart Baker on [tbis, 



Rickett, well knowu for his work in China on ornithological 

 subjects. 



(8) Picus canus tancolo. 



Gecinus tancolo Gould, P. Z. S. 1862, p. 283. 



Type locality. Formosa. 



Differs from south Chinese birds in being smaller ; wing 

 average 1371, and bill about 26 mm., varying from 24*5 

 to 28, and in one case 30 mm. It is also a darker bird, 

 and the under plumage is very distinctly duller and also 

 browner. 



(9) Picus canus hainanus. 



Gecinus hainanus O.-Graut, Ibis, 1899, p. 581. 



Tyjm locality. Five-finger ISlts., Hainan. 



There are only two specimens of Hainan birds in the 

 British Museum, but these are smaller than Formosan birds, 

 with smaller bills, and are possibly also rather darker above 

 and less brown below. 



It is with some doubt that I keep them separate, but 

 Dr. Hartert, who formerly considered the two subspecies 

 identical (Novitates Zool. xvii, p. 222), informs me that a 

 series of 12 birds in the Triug Museum bears out the above 

 characters differentiating the two races, aud that he con- 

 siders they should be kept distinct. 



Wing about 132 mm. ; bill about 25 mm. 



Habitat. Hainan. 



PICUS VITTATUS. 



Gyldenstolpe has recently described a new form of 

 P. vittatus from uorthern Siam as P. v. eisenhoferi. The 

 differences enumerated by him are as follows : — Size, larger 

 than in vittatus, colour of upper parts bright grass-green 

 instead of olive-yellow, rump-feathers tipped yellow, black 

 cap on head larger. He also refers to the colour of the 

 wings and the spotting of the quills. The wing lie gives as 

 142 mm. 



All these variations in plumage are purely individual, and 

 even the difference in size between northern and southern 



