128 PICID,E. 



the Province of Granada. At Potes, near Santander, in 1876, 

 we found this species at a higher elevation than D. major. 



Both sexes have the crown vermilion, the abdomen and tail-coverts rose- 

 colour. Length 8 inches.] 



156. Gecinus sharpii, Saunders. The South Spanish Green 



Woodpecker. 



Spanish. Pito real. 



This Green Woodpecker, in habits, note, and manner of 

 nesting, is exactly similar to the British G. viridis; they are 

 abundant in some localities near Seville, particularly in the Cotos 

 and towards Cordova and Granada. I never met with any nearer 

 Gibraltar than the vicinity of Seville, and it is very singular they 

 should not occur in the Cork-wood or in the wooded gargantas 

 or valleys in the vicinity of Gibraltar. 



Resembles G. viridis, but has the side of the face grey and the red 

 moustache of the male not bordered with black. Length 11^-12^ inches. 



157. Gecinus vaillanti (Malherbe). The Algerian Green 



Woodpecker. 



Moorish. Nakab el tebak (the borer of the wood). 



" Kesident near Tangier, but not so common as Picus numi- 

 dicus ; like the latter avoiding the haunts of men and living in 

 large woods. They nest in holes of trees in April and May, and 

 lay from five to eight shining white eggs. The males assist in 

 incubation." Favier. 



We found this Green Woodpecker to be common near Tetuan 

 and in the province of Angera, especially among the short stunted 

 trees which grow in the valleys about Jebel Musa ; they are rare 

 near Tangier, the scarcity of trees accounting for their absence ; 

 in habits and note they exactly agree with G. viridis and 

 G. sharpii, but both the latter and the present bird, in my 

 humble opinion, are only climatic or local races of G. viridis. 



The characters given are : Face grey, with whitish stripe across from 



