THE BLACK-NAPED GREEN WOODPECKER. 51 



445. GECINUS OCCIPITALIS. 

 THE BLACK-NAPED GREEN WOODPECKER. 



Picus occipitalis, Vigors, P. Z. S. 1830, p. 8 ; Sundev. Consp. Av. Pic. p. 61. Chlo- 

 ropicus occipitalis, Malh. Mon. Pic. ii. p. 129, pi. Ixxvii. fig. 4-6. Gecinus 

 occipitalis, Jerd. B. 2nd. i. p. ^87 ; Hume, Nests and Eyys, p. 125 ; Hume, S. F. 

 iii. p. 70 ; SI, B. Burm. p. 76 ; Hume 8f Dav. S. F. vi. p. 137 ; Hume, S.F. viii. 

 p. 87 ; Oates, S. F. viii. p. l('5o; Scully, S. F. viii. p. 248 ; Binyham, S. F. ix. 

 p. 164. 



Description. Male. Forehead and the greater portion of the crown 

 scarlet ; posterior part of crown, nape, short occipital crest, the feathers 

 immediately at the base of the upper mandible, a streak over the lores and 

 eyes and a broad mandibular stripe black; lores and sides of the head 

 greyish brown ; hind neck, back and scapulars green ; rump and upper 

 tail-coverts brown, the feathers edged with bright yellow ; tail brown, the 

 outer webs of the feathers edged with greenish yellow, and the four central 

 feathers obsoletely barred ; wing-coverts and tertiaries fulvous-yellow ; 

 primary-coverts brown, with obsolete white spots on the outer webs ; pri- 

 maries brown, with white spots on the outer webs and white bars on the 

 basal half of the inner ; secondaries fulvous-yellow on the outer webs, 

 brown barred with white on the inner ; chin and upper part of throat 

 grey ; remainder of the lower plumage green, tinged with fulvous on the 

 vent and under tail- coverts ; under wing- coverts white barred with 

 brown. 



The female differs in having the forehead, crown and nape black, each 

 feather edged with grey. 



Bill dull blackish brown ; eyelids purplish brown ; iris dull red \ legs 

 dull green ; claws greenish horn-colour. 



Length 13 inches, tail 4' 5, wing 5*7, tarsus 1*1, bill from gape 1'8. The 

 female is of the same size. 



The Black-nap ed Green Woodpecker is perhaps the commonest species 

 of British Burmah, and is found in all parts of the Province except the 

 southern half of Tenasserim, in which Division Mr. Davison did not 

 observe it south of Tavoy ; but Capt. Biugham found it common through- 

 out the Thoungyeen valley. 



It is probably found in the Indo-Burmese countries ; and it occurs in 

 the hill-ranges of Eastern Bengal and throughout the Himalayas from 

 Bhootan to Afghanistan. 



This species is found in all sorts of jungle except the dense evergreen 

 forests. I have found its eggs in May and June in Pegu, and Capt. Bingham 

 found them in Tenasserim in April. It lays three or four eggs. 



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