VENILIA. 44] 



Length. 975 to 10 inches; tail 275 to 3; wing 4-8 to 5; tarsus o'9; bill 

 from gape r2 ; at front i. 



//0 % The Himalayas as far as Kumaon, extending south to Central India. 

 Found also in Nepaul, Sikkim, Lower Bengal, forests of Central India, 

 Nagpore (S.-E.), Assam and British Burmah. It also occurs in the Malay 

 Peninsula. In Burmah, according to Gates, it is most abundant in the 

 evergreen forests and in the dense orchards and pineapple gardens about 

 Rangoon, Feeds largely on ants, in the hanging nests of which Mr. Gammie 

 is said to have discovered that it lays its eggs. 



1046. Micropternus brachyurus (Vieill.\ Htime, Str. F. v. 



p. 48; Hume and Dav., Sir. F. vi. p. 145 ; Hume, Sir. F. viii. p. 88 ; Oates, 

 B. Br. Burm. ii. p. 58. Picus brachyurus, Vieill,, Nouv. Diet, d' "Hist. Nat. 

 xxvi p 103, Picus squamigularis, Sundev., Consp. Av. Pic. p. 89. The 

 MALAYAN RUFOUS WOODPECKER. 



Not unlike M cropternus phaoceps, but smaller, the bars on the tail are 

 broader ; the chin, throat, and cheeks which are blackish have the feathers 

 broadly margined with white. The female differs in the same way as that of 

 M. phcEoceps. 



Length. 8 inches ; tail 2*6; wing 4*5 ; tarsus 0*8 ; bill from gape i'i. 

 Hab. Tenasserim, thence down the Malay Peninsula to Singapore. 



1047. Micropternus gularis, Jerd* B. ind. \. p. 294, No. 179; 



Hume, Str. F. v. p. 477 et. seq. ; id., Str. F. vii. p. 470. Phaiopicus Jerdoni, 

 Malherbe, Rev. Zool. 1849, P- 53^- The SOUTH INDIAN RUFOUS WOOD- 

 PECKER. 



Whole upper plumage rufous-bay with cross bands of dusky black ; head 

 dusky brown ; chin, throat and part of cheeks olivaceous brown, the feathers 

 mottled with white; cheek stripe crimson; under plumage unspotted bay; 

 under tail coverts faintly barred with dusky. Bill black ; irides brown. 



Length. 7-5 to 9 inches ; tail 2'5 to 3 ; wing 4'8 ; bill at front O'g. 



Hal. Forests of Malabar both above and below the Ghauts. Affects forest 

 jungle. It has also been found in the Southern Mahratta Country, where 

 Mr. Elliot obtained it at Dharwar. He remarks that like many other species of 

 Woodpeckers, the head, scapulars, and tail are generally smeared with a 

 gummy substance. 



Gen. Venilia. Bonap. 



Bill long, nearly straight, almost the same width throughout ; lateral ridge 

 distinct, extending to two-thirds the length of the bill ; culmen ridged ; wings 

 long ; tail rather short ; outer toe nearly equal to the medial ; inner one short. 



1048. Venilia pyrrhotis (Hodgs.), Jerd., B. Ind. \. p. 291, 



No. 176; Wold, in BlytVs B. Burm. p. 77; Hume and Dav., Sfr. F. vi. 

 p. 142 ; Oates, B. Br. Burm. ii. p. 39. Picus pyrrhotis, Hodgs., J. A. S. B. 



