i.ioi'icus. 43 



Genus LIOPICUS, Bonaparte, 1854. 



This genus closely resembles Dendrocopus, but has a more 

 rounded wing, the primaries exceeding the secondaries by less 

 than the length of the culrnen. A small occipital crest is present. 

 The upper plumage is black, spotted not barred with white. 



Only one species is known, and this is peculiar, or nearly so, to 

 the Indian area. 



972. Liopicus mahrattensis. The Ydloiv-fronted Pied 

 Woodpecker. 



Picus mahrattensis, Lath. Ind. Orn. Suppl. p. xxxi (1801) ; Gray in 

 Hardw. III. Ind. Zool. i, pi. xxxiii; Blyth, Cat. p. 62; Jerdon, 



B. I. i, p. 274 ; Kiny, J. A. S. B. xxxvii, pt. 2, p. 214 ; Blanford, 

 J. A. S. B. xxxviii, pt. 2, p. 168 ; Stoliczka, J. A. S. B. xli, pt. 2, 

 p. 232 ; Holdsworth, P. Z. IS. 1872, p. 426 ; Adam, S. F. i, p. 373 ; 

 Ball, S. F. ii, p. 390 ; Hume 8f Gates, S. F. iii, p. 58 ; Blanford, 

 x. F. v, p. 245 ; Murray, S. F. vii, p. Ill ; Butler, ib. p. 181 ; 

 Ball, ib. p. 205; Hume, Cat. no. 160; Leyye, Birds Ceyl p. 184; 

 Vidal, S. F. ix, p. 52 ; Butler, ib. p. 385 ; Reid, S. F. x, p. 24 ; 

 Davidson, ib. p. 297 ; Damson, ib. p. 354 ; Gates, B. B. ii, p. 37 ; 



C. H. T. Marshall, Ibis, 1884, p. 410 ; Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 112. 

 Picus aurocristatus, Tickett, J. A. S. B. ii, p. 579 (1833). 

 Leiopicus mahrattensis, Bonap. Consp. Volucr. Zyyod. p. 8 ; Horsf. $ 



M. Cat. ii, p. 674. 

 Liopipo mahrattensis, Cab. fy H. Mus. Hein. iv (2), p. 44 ; Blyth Sf 



Wald. Birds Burm. p. 78. 



Picus blanfordi, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xxxii, p. 75 (1863). 

 Liopicus mahrattensis, Hargitt, Cat. B. M. xviii, p. 290 ; Oates in 



Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. ii, p. 305. 



Coloration. Male. Nasal plumes, forehead, and sinciput pale 

 brownish yellow, occiput scarlet, sides of face and neck white, 

 ear-coverts with a brownish tinge ; nape and hind neck smoky 

 brown ; back and scapulars brownish black and white mixed, not 

 in bars nor distinct spots ; greater and median coverts black with 

 large white spots ; smaller coverts black ; rump and upper tail- 

 ooverts white, the feathers with broad dark shaft-stripes, which 

 are generally concealed on the former but not on the latter ; quills 

 and tail-feathers spotted white on both webs, the spots on the 

 latter white above, fulvescent below, and sometimes forming bars 

 on the outer tail-feathers ; chin, throat, and fore neck white ; no 

 malar band, but a broad brown stripe runs from beneath the ear- 

 coverts on each side to the side of the breast and then breaks up 

 into brown longitudinal streaks ; breast, flanks, and under tail- 

 coverts streaked with brown ; middle of abdomen bright scarlet. 



In the female the whole forehead, crown, and occiput are pale 

 dull brownish yellow. 



Bill clear plumbeous, darker on the culmen and tip of both 

 mandibles ; irides deep red ; legs and feet bright plumbeous ; claws 

 horny blue (Oates). 



