286 BIRDS OP NORFOLK. 



" * 



in such extremely unusual numbers, seemed almost 

 to suggest a migratory movement, yet I know of no 

 trustworthy facts which would justify me in classing this 

 woodpecker with such resident species as receive foreign 

 additions in autumn. A very singular and beautiful 

 variety was killed at Hedenham, in December, 1852, 

 which is now in the collection of Mr. J. H. Gurney, who 

 thus described its peculiar plumage in the " Zoologist" 

 (p. 3801). "It exhibits some remarkable variations 

 from the usual colouring of this species, especially on 

 the rump, the feathers of which (including the upper 

 tail-coverts) are in this specimen all margined and 

 tipped with a beautiful flame-coloured red, instead of 

 with the usual edging of yellow. The feathers at the 

 lower part of the back of the neck are also similarly 

 tipped with red, while those on the back are pointed 

 with the beautiful golden yellow edgings which usually 

 characterise the feathers of the rump; and a similar 

 yellow pointing is to be observed on the ends of the 

 feathers forming the three lower rows of the wing- 

 coverts. The other parts of the plumage do not differ 

 from ordinary specimens." That this strange intensity 

 of colouring, however unique in a British specimen, 

 is occasionally met with in other countries, is shown 

 by the following interesting remarks of Mr. Robert 

 Birkbeck, in the "Zoologist" for 1854 (p. 4209), 

 under the title of " Notes on the birds of Italy and 

 Sicily." Speaking of the green woodpecker, he says 

 "In the museum at Pisa I observed three or four 

 specimens with the feathers on the rump and neck 

 quite flame-coloured, and those on the back of a bright 

 yellow, similar to the specimen noticed by Mr. Gurney 

 in the ' Zoologist.' Some were brighter in colour 

 than others. I think that they were distinguished as 

 varieties of P. viridis." In the "Zoologist" for 1848 

 (p. 2229), Mr. Alfred Newton described some eggs of the 



