28 BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 



habitually on ants and other insects found in the bark of trees. The eggs 

 of all those that are known are white, and they are laid on the bare wood 

 in holes of trees, the entrance to the nest being in most cases bored by the 

 bird, which appears to know by instinct where a tree is rotten inside. A 

 few species have peculiar habits, and these will be noted in their proper 

 place. 



424. THEIPONAX FEDDENI. 



THE WHITE-RUMPED BLACK WOODPECKER. 



Mulleripicus feddeni, Blanf., SI. J. A. & B. xxxii. p. 75. Thriponax jerdoni, 

 Cab. et Hein. Mm. Hein. iv. Heft ii. p. 105 (note) ; Sundev. Consp. Av. Pic. p. 9. 

 Thriponax crawfurdi, J. E. Gray, apud Bl. B. Sunn. p. 75 ; Hume, S. F. iii. 

 p. 66 ; Hume fy Dav. S. F. vi. p. 134 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 87. Thriponax 

 feddeni, Hume, 8. F. viii. p. 409 ; Bingliam, S. F. ix. p. 162 ; Gates, S. F. x. 

 p. 190. 



Description. Male. Forehead, crown, nape, a short occipital crest and 

 a patch on each side of the base of the lower mandible scarlet ; lower 

 back, rump, abdomen, sides of the body and the greater portion of the 

 under wing-coverts white ; remainder of the plumage black ; the throat, 

 fore neck and sides of the head speckled, some of the flank-feathers and 

 the shorter under tail-coverts edged, and a few of the earlier primaries 

 narrowly tipped, with white ; and the basal portion of all the quills white, 

 forming a large patch on the underside of the wing. 



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

 lower mandible and in having the forehead and the anterior half of the 

 crown black ; the occipital crest is also shorter. 



The young have the greater portion of the throat white. 



Iris yellow ; eyelids lavender-brown ; legs plumbeous ; claws horny grey ; 

 bill bluish black, darkest on the upper mandible and palest on the lower 

 near the base. 



Length 16 inches, tail 6*6, wing 8*5, tarsus 1*3, bill from gape 2. The 

 female is as large as the male. 



This species may be recognized at a glance by its white rump. T. hodgii, 

 from the Andamans, and T. hodgsoni, from India, are closely allied. 



The White-rumped Black Woodpecker occurs plentifully in portions of 

 Pegu. I found it very abundant near Thayetmyo and in the country 

 lying between that town and the ridge of the Pegu hills. On the eastern 

 slopes, between the ridge and Tonghoo, I failed to meet with it, the forests 

 there being apparently unfitted for it. Capt. Wardlaw Ramsay, however, 

 procured it at Tonghoo itself. Mr. Blanf ord obtained it at Bassein; but 



