MARIA'S WOODPECKER. 183 



feathers over the nostrils, and in the angle of the lower mandible, are 

 dull yellow ; the upper part of the head is scarlet, the forehead and oc- 

 ciput are black ; over each eye is a band of white ; a black band from the 

 bill to the eye, continued behind it over the auriculars, and joining the 

 black of the hind neck ; beneath this black band is one of white pro- 

 ceeding from the angle of the mouth and curving backwards below the 

 middle of the neck, so as almost to meet its fellow behind ; this band 

 is succeeded by another of black, proceeding from the base of the lower 

 mandible, and continuous with the black of the shoulders. All the 

 upper parts may be described as black, tinged with brown behind ; the 

 feathers along the middle of the back tipped with white ; excepting 

 on the rump ; the wing-coverts and quills spotted with the same, there 

 being on the four longest primaries seven spots on the outer, and four 

 on the inner web, on most of the secondaries five on each web ; but on 

 the outer quill only one patch on each web, and on the second four 

 spots on the outer and three on the inner web. The four middle tail- 

 feathers are glossy black, the next black on the inner web, and the 

 greater part of the outer toward the base, the rest black only at the 

 base, the two outermost being almost entirely white. The lower parts 

 are white, tinged with grey, and a little red, the sides faintly mottled 

 with dusky grey ; lower wing-coverts white, with a dusky patch toward 

 the edge of the wing. 



Length to end of tail 9i% inches ; bill along the ridge 1, along the 

 edge of lower mandible 1 j ; wing from flexure 45j*'| ; tail 3j^ ; tarsus jl ; 

 first toe i^g* its claw || ; second toe ^g, its claw |*^ ; third toe ^|, its 

 claw II ; fourth toe ?!, its claw 1**^. 



Adult Female. Plate CCCCXVII. Fig. 2. 



The Female, which is somewhat smaller, differs in external appear- 

 ance only in having the upper parts duller and tinged with brown, the 

 lower more tinged with grey, and the bright patch on the head of a 

 yellowish-red tint and of much less extent. 



This species is very nearly allied to Picus mllosus, and is very si- 

 milar in its colours, but differs in having the mandibles pointed, in 

 being larger, in having the top of the head red or yellowishrred, and in 

 having its fourth toe longer than the third. 



