WOOPECKER. INSESSORES. PICUS 3;5 



GREAT BLACK WOODPECKER. 



PICUS MARTfUSy Linn. 

 PLATE D. FIG. 4. 



Picus martius, Linn. Syst. 1. 173. 1 Gmel. Syst. 1. 424 Lath. Ind. Orn. 



1. 224. 1. 



Picus niger, Briss. 4. 21. 6. 

 Picus maximus, Raii Syn. 42. 1. 

 Le Pic noir, Buff. Ois. 7. 41. t. 2 Id. PI. EnL 596.- Temm. Man. d'Orn. 



1. 390. 



Great Black Woodpecker, Will. (Angl.) 135 Albin, 2. t. 27 Penn. Arct. 



Zool. 2. 296 Lath. Syn. 2. 552. 1 Id. Sup. 104 Lewin's Br. Birds, 



2. t. 46 Mont. Orn. Diet Rennie's Mont. Orn. Diet. 



IN the former edition of this volume, the Great Black 

 Woodpecker was omitted, as I felt uncertain whether its 

 claim to rank as a British bird was sufficiently established 

 to warrant its being placed upon the list, even as an occa- Occasional 

 sional visitant. It appears, however, that, besides the two ^ 

 or three specimens mentioned by PULTENEY, as killed in 

 Devonshire, instances have occurred in other parts of Eng- 

 land ; among which may be mentioned a bird shot in Lan- 

 cashire by Lord STANLEY; and another obtained in the 

 neighbourhood of Battersea Fields, near London. These 

 several instances, therefore, (following the course adopted 

 throughout this work, of describing and adding to our 

 Fauna every bird found in its natural state of wildness), 

 give this Woodpecker a claim to be considered as one of our 

 rare visitants. It belongs to Mr SWAINSOX'S restricted ge- 

 nus Picus, and is one of the typical forms. In dimensions 

 it greatly surpasses any of our native species, nearly equal- 

 ling in size its congeners of America (Picus principals and 

 Picus pileatus). It inhabits the forests of the northern and 

 eastern parts of Europe, and extends its residence as far as 

 Siberia. In the more southern and western provinces it is 

 comparatively of rare occurrence. Its habits are, in most 



