PICOIDES. COLAPTES. 79 



Donovan (Brit. Birds, vi. pi. 143, 1820) says one had then 

 been " lately shot in Scotland;"" but there has been no 

 record since his time. It ranges from Scandinavia through- 

 out the northern Palsearctic Region, and also occurs in some 

 mountainous parts of Central Europe.] 



Genus GECINUS, Boie, Isis, 1831, p. 542. 



Gecinus from yfj = the earth, and /cti/ew = I shake. 



Gecinus viridis. GREE^ WOODPECKEK. 



Picus viridis, Linnaeus, S. N. i. p. 175 (1766). 

 Picus viridis, Naum. v. p. 270 ; Macg. iii. p. 91 ; Hewitson, 



p. 239; Yarr. ed. 2, ii. p. 137; id. ed. 3, ii. p. 142; 



Harting, p. 32. 

 Gecinus viridis, Gray, p. 115 ; Gould, iii. pis. 74, 75 ; Newton, 



ii. p. 457; Dresser, v. p. 77. 

 Green Woodpecker, Yarr. ed. 1, ii. p. 132. 



Resident in England as far north as Northumberland, 

 being commoner in the southern than in the northern 

 counties ; but it has only occurred four times in Scotland, 

 and it has only twice been recorded from Ireland. It in- 

 habits the Western Palsearctic Region north of the Medi- 

 terranean and the Pyrenees. 



[Genus COLAPTES, Swainson, Zool. Journ. iii. p. 353 

 (1827). 



Colaptes = KoXdirrris, a chisel ; KoXaTrra) = I peck with the bill, used almost 

 always of birds. 



Colaptes auratus. GOLDEN- WINGED WOODPECKER. 

 Picus auratus, Linnaeus, S. N. i. p. 174 (1766). 



Colaptes auratus, Gray, p. 116; Gould, Introd. p. xcviii. 

 Picus auratus, Hartiny, p. 123. 



Auratus = gilded, from aurdre = to overlay with gold, aurum from the 

 golden-yellow colour showing under the wings and tail. 



