364 BRITISH BIRDS. 



GECINUS VIRIDIS. 

 GREEN WOODPECKER. 



(PLATE 18.) 



Picus viridis, Briss. Orn. iv. p. 9 (1760) ; Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 175 (1766) ; et 

 auctorum plurimorum Latham, Temminck, Naumann, Bonaparte, (Newton), 

 (Dresser), &c. 



Gecinus viridis (Briss.), Boie, Isis, 1831, p. 542. 



Gecinus pinetorum, i 



Gecinus frondium, ( Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. pp. 197, 199 (1831). 



Gecinus virescens, I 



Brachylophus viridis (Briss.), Swains. Classif. B. ii. p. 308 (1837). 



Chloropicus viridis (Briss.), Malh. Monogr. Picid. ii. p. 118, pi. Ixxix. figs. 14 

 (1862). 



The Green Woodpecker is a somewhat local resident, but is generally 

 distributed throughout the woodland districts of England and Wales, 

 becoming rarer north of Yorkshire. In Scotland and Ireland it is only 

 known as a very rare accidental visitor. It is doubtful whether more than 

 two or three examples have ever been obtained in Scotland ; it has not 

 occurred in the Shetland Islands, and the evidence of its occurrence in 

 Orkney is very vague. It is not known that more than two examples have 

 ever occurred in Ireland. 



The range of the Green Woodpecker is somewhat restricted, being 

 confined to the western portions of the Palsearctic Region, and not extending 

 to the Arctic circle. This species has not been found in the Faroe Islands, 

 and is not known to breed in Norway north of lat. 63. In Sweden and 

 Russia it does not breed north of lat. 60, and it is doubtful whether it be 

 found even so far north in the east of the latter country. There is no 

 record of its occurrence east of the Ural Mountains. It has not occurred 

 in Turkestan ; but appears to be found throughout Western Persia and 

 Asia Minor, although it has not been met with in Palestine. It is generally 

 distributed throughout Southern Europe ; but has not been found south 

 of the Mediterranean. In the Algerian forests it is represented by a nearly 

 allied species, Gecinus vaillantii, differing principally in having the fore- 

 head and the region round the eye slate-grey instead of black, and in 

 having no scarlet on the black moustachial line of the male. Examples 

 from Central and Southern Spain are intermediate in colour between this 

 and the typical form, having the moustachial stripe of the latter, but the 

 region round the eye coloured like the former, and are probably the result 

 of interbreeding. They have been called G. sharpii. 



The Green Woodpecker has several other very near allies. The eastern 



