HORSFIELD'S GREAT BLACK WOODPECKER. 27 



Subfamily PICIN^E. 



Genus THRIPONAX, Cab. et Hein. 



423. THRIPONAX JAVENSIS. 



HORSFIELD'S GREAT BLACK WOODPECKER. 



Picus javensis, Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. xiii. p. 175. Picus leucogaster, Reinw. 

 et Temm.j Wayler, Syst. Av., PICKS, sp. 7 ; Temm. PI. Col. 501 ; Sundev. Consp. 

 Av. Pic. p. 9. Dryopicus leucogaster, Malh. Mon. Pic. i. p. 47, pi. xiii. 

 fig. 4-6. Hemilophus javensis, Wold. Ibis, 1871, p. 164. Thriponax ja- 

 vensis, Sahad. Ucc. Born. p. 52 ; Hume, S. F. iii. p. 67 ; Wold. Trans. Zool. 

 Soc. ix. p. 146; Bl. B. Burm. p. 75; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi. p. 135; Hume, 

 S. F. viii. p. 87. 



Description. Male. The forehead, crown, nape, occipital crest and a 

 large patch on each side of the base of the lower mandible scarlet ; abdo- 

 men, vent and sides of the body yellowish white ; remainder of the plumage 

 black ; the throat and fore neck speckled, the feathers of the flanks near 

 the thighs margined, with white ; the inner webs of the quills with a patch 

 of white at their bases. 



The female differs in wanting the scarlet patches at the base of the lower 

 mandible, and in having the forehead and anterior half of the crown 

 black. 



Legs and feet pale plumbeous to leaden blue ; iris creamy white, creamy 

 yellow, clear yellow ; orbital skin very dark plumbeous ; bill black ; lower 

 mandible plumbeous blue to dusky plumbeous. (Davison.) 



Length about 17 inches, tail 7'5, wing 9, tarsus 1'3, bill from gape 2'4. 

 The female is of the same size. 



Horsfield's Great Black Woodpecker was procured by Mr. Davison in 

 the extreme south of Tenasserim, at Laynah, Bankasoon and Malewoon ; 

 and Mr. Blyth records it from Mergui, much further north. 



It occurs in the Malay peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo and the 

 Philippine Islands. 



This Woodpecker affects tree-jungle and old clearings, and does not 

 appear to be found in the thicker forests. 



The notes of all the Woodpeckers are harsh and loud, and they are all 

 more or less of the same character. A practised field-naturalist can in 

 most cases recognize the Woodpeckers by their calls ; but it is impossible 

 to describe them in writing, and consequently nothing further will be said 

 about their notes in this work. 



The same may be said of their habits ; they all climb trees, and feed 



