58 PICIDJE. 



and Aitken found the eggs laid in ants' nests. According to Legge, 

 it often feeds on the ground, and he has seen it breaking up the 

 dried dung of cattle. He also says it has a loud note, often heard 

 very early in the morning. 



Genus BRACHYPTERNUS, Strickland, 1841. 



Bill scarcely longer than head, the culmen curved ; nasal ridge 

 close to the culinen, but subobsolete ; nostrils exposed. First 

 (hind) digit and claw very small, together scarcely as long as one 

 of the claws of the other digits ; third and fourth toes subequal. 

 "Wings and tail longer than in Micropternus ; outer tail-feathers a 

 little longer than the coverts. A red occipital crest in both sexes ; 

 crown red in males, black with white spots in females ; back 

 yellow or red, lower parts black and white or fulvous. 



This genus is peculiar to India and Ceylon. 



Key to the Species. 



Back yellow or orange B. aurantius, p. 58. 



Back crimson B. erythronotus, p. 60. 



986. Brachypternus aurantius. The Golden-backed Woodpecker. 



Picus aurantius and P. bengalensis, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, pp. 174, 175 

 (1766). 



Malacolophus melanoehrysos, Hodgs. J. A. 8. B. vi, p. 109 (1837). 



Brachypternus aurantius, Strickl. P. Z. S. 1841, p. 31 ; Blyth, Cat. 

 p. 56; Horsf. & M. Cat. ii, p. 654; Adams, P. Z. S. 1858, 

 p. 475 ; 1859, p. 174 ; Jerdon, B. I. i, p. 295 ; Ball, S. F. vii, 

 p. 206; Cripps, ib. p. 263; Hume, Cat. no. 180; Reid, S. F. x, 

 p. 25 ; Gates in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. ii. p. 309. 



Brachypternus micropus, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xiv, p. 194 (1845). 



Brachypternopicus chrysonotus (Less.), apud Malh. Rev. Zool. 1845, 

 p. 404. 



Brachypternopicus puncticollis, Malh. t. c. p. 405. 



Brachypternus dilutus, Blyth, Cat. p. 56 (1849); id. Ibis, 1866, 

 p. 356 ; Jerdon, B. I. i, p. 297 ; Hume, S. F. i, p. 171 ; id. Cat. 

 no. 182 ; Doig, S. F. viii, p. 370. 



Brachypternus chrysonotus, apud Horsf. Sf M. Cat. ii, p. 656 ; Jerdon, 

 B. I. i, p. 296; McMaster, J. A. S. B. xl, pt. 2, p. 209; Fair- 

 bank, S. F. iv, p. 255. 



Brachypternus puncticollis, Holdsivorth, P. Z. S. 1872, p. 428 ; Hume, 

 Cat. no. 181 ; Legge, Birds Ceyl. p. 205, pi. ix ; Vidal, S. F. ix, p. 53 ; 

 Butler, ib. p. 386 ; Davidson, Jour. Bomb. N. H. Soc. vi. p. 336. 



Brachypternus intermedius, Legge, S. F. iv, p. 242 ; White, S. F. v, 

 p. 201 ; Parker, S. F. ix, p. 479. 



Brachypternus aurantius and B. puncticollis, Davison, S. F. x, p. 356 ; 

 Barnes, Birds Bom. pp. 118, 119; Hargitt, Cat. B. M. xviii, 

 pp. 404, 407. 



Coloration. Male. Forehead and crown black, the feathers 

 tipped with crimson ; occipital crest bright crimson, the feathers 

 with whitish shaft-stripes ; a narrow stripe on each side of the 

 crown, and a broad band through the eye to the nape, including 

 upper lores and ear-coverts, mixed black and white ; remainder of 



