278 BRITISH BIRDS. 



THE PIED WOODPECKER. 



GREATER SPOTTED \VOoni'ECKER, OR WITWAf.I.. 



(Pic us Major ', Linn. Pic cpciclic, Temm.) 



LENGTH somewhat more than nine inches. The 

 bill is of a dark horn colour, very strong at the 

 base, and exceedingly sharp at the end; the upper 

 and under sides formed by high pointed ridges, 

 which run along the middle of each; the eyes are 

 reddish, encircled with a large white spot, which 

 extends to the back part of the head, on which is a 

 spot of crimson; the forehead is buff; the top of 

 the head black; on the back part of the neck are 

 two white spots, separated by a line of black; the 

 scapulars and tips of the wing coverts white; the 

 rest of the plumage on the upper part of the body 

 black; the tail is black, the outer feathers marked 



