318 GAIRDNERS WOODPECKER. 



while my specimen of P. Gairdnerii may be at once distinguished by 

 the greater length especially of the outer or reversed toe. Its bill is 

 also considerably thicker at the base, although otherwise similar. An- 

 other difference presents itself in the relative length of some of the 

 quills, the fifth being longest in P, Gairdnerii, the fourth in P. ptihe- 

 scens. 



Adult Male. 



Bill longish, straight, strong, tapering, angular, slightly compressed, 

 and at the tip truncate ; mandibles of equal length ; both straight in 

 their outline, the ridge of the upper very narrow, its sides sloping, the 

 lateral ridge nearer the margin ; the nostrils linear-oblong, basal, con- 

 cealed by tufts of reversed bristly feathers. 



Head of moderate size, ovate ; neck short. Feet short, rather strong ; 

 tarsus with a few large scutella before, thin-edged behind, with a series 

 of large scales along the inner side ; two toes before, two behind, the 

 fo\u"th or outer reversed toe considerably longer than the third, the 

 first very short ; claws strong, much compressed, well curved, very 

 acute, those of the third and fourth toes nearly equal and largest. 



Plumage very soft and blended ; feathers of the middle part of the 

 back very long and downy. Wings large, rounded, the first quill eight- 

 twelfths long, the second an inch and seven-twelfths longer, the third 

 seven and a quarter twelfths longer than the second, and three-quar- 

 ters of a twelfth shorter than the fourth, which is slightly exceeded by 

 the fifth, the sixth a little shorter than the fourth ; secondaries very 

 broad, truncate. Tail rather long, cuneate, of ten feathers, of which 

 the lateral are eight-twelfths shorter than the middle, all more or less 

 slit at the point. 



Bill greyish-blue, somewhat dusky above ; feet bluish -grey; claws light 

 blue, dusky at the end. The top of the head is black, as are a broad band 

 behind the eye, part of the loral space, a band below the cheek, as well 

 as the scapulars, wings, and four middle tail-feathers ; there is a band of 

 white over each eye, enlarging on the occiput and terminating in a broad 

 band of bright crimson running across that part ; another white band 

 from below the eye, curving behind the ears, nearly meeting on the 

 hind neck ; the wings barred with squarish spots of white, and tip- 

 ped with the same, there being on the outer webs of the third and fourth 

 primaries five spots on the outer and four on the inner web ; most of 



