462 



CORACIIFORMES 



Himalayan form, there is an admixture of yellow with the red 

 on the crown. Our Greater and Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers 



extend throughout Europe and 

 North Asia, and reach the Atlantic 

 Islands ; while some thirty con- 

 geners widen the range until it 

 includes nearly all the Palaeartic, 

 Nearctic, and Indian Eegions. They 

 are also found south of lat. 20 S. 

 in the , Neotropical D. leuconoius 

 and D. (Dendrocoptes) mcdius are 

 other European forms, with vary r 

 ing races. Pico'ides is a similarly 

 coloured genus of three-toed birds, 

 wi th yellow instead of red on the 

 head. They inhabit the most 

 northern forests of both Worlds, 



FIG. 95. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. 

 Dendrocopus minor, x ^. (From 

 Bird Life in Siveden. ) 



reaching southward to Central Europe, China, and (west of the Eocky 

 Mountains) to New Mexico. P. tridactylus is well-known in Europe. 



lyngipicus is a large group of small species, which stretch from 

 India to the Kuril Islands, Chira, Flores, and Celebes ; and, if 

 Hargitt is right in considering Picus obsoletus congeneric, from 

 North-East Africa to Senegambia. The colours are black or 

 olive above, relieved by white and fulvescent below with dark 

 stripes or spots, the occiput shewing a band, or two streaks, of 

 red ; the lateral tail-feathers, moreover, are hardly rigid, approach- 

 ing in that respect those of Picumnus. Dendrobates is a still 

 larger genus of similarly sized birds, varying from nearly uniform 

 olive with a red crown, or bright red with white under parts, to 

 dull gold-colour, where the lower surface is buff barred with brown ; 

 the head being in the last case red, but the nape yellow. They 

 range from Northern Argentina to Central America. Mesopicus 

 goertan, one of half a dozen finely-coloured species found through- 

 out most of the Ethiopian Eegion, has an olive back, long crimson 

 feathers on the head and rump, and a greyish breast. 



Thus far all the members of the Family agree in having the 

 nostrils covered with bristles. Among those in which the bristles 

 are wanting may be mentioned Celeus and the three-toed Tigajava- 

 nensis and its congeners, extending from India to Cochin China. 

 The last-named has a brilliant golden -orange back, a crimson 



