BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



141 



<3reat Spotted Moctopecfcer. 



THE Great Spotted Woodpecker (Ptcus major, Linnaeus) 

 is a resident in the British Isles, and is also pretty gener- 

 ally distributed throughout the whole of the European 

 Continent. The adult male has the general plumage of 

 the upper parts black; forehead, white; cheeks and ear- 

 coverts also white ; nape, crimson ; a broad black band 

 runs from base of bill to nape; another band of black 

 traverses sides of chest ; scapulars, white ; primaries and 

 secondaries, barred exteriorly with white ; on each side of 

 the back part of the neck is a white patch ; throat, breast, 

 and abdomen, whitish; vent and under tail-coverts, 

 crimson ; rump and central tail-feathers, black ; outer 

 ones with alternate bars of black and white ; irides, pale 

 red; bill, legs, and feet, slaty-black. Length, about nine 

 inches. The female shows no red on the head. 



