HORSFIELD'S BARRED WOODPECKER. 59 



Genus MEIGLYPTES, Swains. 



451. MEIGLYPTES GRAMMITHORAX. 



HORSFIELD'S BARRED WOODPECKER. 



Phaiopicus grammithorax, Malh, Mon. Pic. ii. p. 12, pi. xlviii. fig. 4-6. Picus 

 tristis (Iforsf.), Sundev. Consp. Av. Pic. p. 91 (part.). Meiglyptes tristis 

 (Horsf.), Wcild. Ibis, 1872, p. 365, 1877, p. 290 (part.) ; Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 56 

 (part.) ; BL B. Burm. p. 77 (part.) ; Hume $ Dav. 8. F. vi. p. 131 (part.) ; 

 Hume, S. F. viii. p. 87 (part.). Meiglyptes grammithorax, Nicholson, Ibis, 

 1879, p. 165 ; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 497. 



Description. Male. Lores, the feathers round the eyes and the chin 

 yellowish buff ; a patch of crimson on each side the base of the lower 

 mandible ; the whole head and neck all round black, closely barred with 

 narrow lines of pale buff; the ear-coverts tinged with yellowish; back, 

 scapulars, wing-coverts and tertiaries black, rather broadly barred with 

 yellowish buff ; rump plain yellowish buff ; tail-coverts black barred with 

 buff; primaries, secondaries and the feathers of the tail black, both webs 

 with bar-like buff spots ; lower plumage from the neck downwards black 

 barred with buff, the bars broader than those on the throat ; under wing- 

 coverts plain buff. 



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

 lower mandible. 



The legs and feet dirty, dingy or glaucous green ; claws plumbeous ; 

 bill black; edge of eyelids black; irides in about half the specimens of 

 each sex deep brown, in the other half dull red. (Davison.) 



Length 6'5 inches, tail 2*2, wing 3'7, tarsus '7, bill from gape *9. The 

 female is of about the same size. 



This species has long been confounded with M. tristis from Java. Mr. 

 Nicholson has shown that the two are quite distinct. The latter differs in 

 having the under plumage black from the lower throat to the abdomen, 

 and in having the lores and the feathers round the eye finely barred with 

 black and buff like the other parts of the head. 



Horsfield's Barred Woodpecker was observed by Mr. Davison in Tenas- 

 serim at Bankasoon and the neighbourhood, and also at the base of 

 Nwalabo mountain; and Mr. Blyth received it from Mergui. 



It extends down the Malay peninsula, and is found in Sumatra and 

 Borneo ; Dr. Tiraud procured it in Cochin China. 



This small Woodpecker, according to Mr. Davison, is usually found in 

 dense forest, and it does not appear ever to descend to the ground. 



