piciD^. 29 



of these gaudily-coloured birds, as we have only seen one of 

 them in Labuan. The Malay name " Panggil Panggil," 

 means " call call."" 



Fam. Picidffi. 



Sub-fam. Gecininae. 

 Gen. Hemiloplius. 



Hemilophus leucogaster. 



Picus leucogaster ) 



T>- - <. 1,1 WTemm.). 



Pic a ventre Diane ) 



Back, tail, wings, neck, breast and throat, black ; crown of the 

 head and hind head red, the feathers on the latter part being 

 lengthened so as to form a crest ; a moustache of the same colour 

 springs from the lower mandible on either side ; the feathers on the 

 breast are tipped with a narrow margin of light brown ; body below 

 yellowish white, which towards the 'central parts becomes of a reddish 

 buff; lower tail-covers black ; the feathers of the thigh are white at 

 the base, then marked with a broad black spot, and beyond that 

 margined with yellowish brown ; the longest primary quills have a 

 small yellowish white spot at the tip on their outer part ; the irides 

 are gray. 



Length, about 18 inches. 



„ of bill from gape, 2 inches 4 lines. 



„ of bill from front, 2 inches 3 lines. 



„ of wings, 9 inches. 



„ of tail, 6^ inches. 



„ of tarsus, 1 inch 4 lines. 



„ of middle toe, 1 inch 9 lines. 



„ of versatile toe, 1^ inch. 



These birds are not uncommon in Labuan, and frequently 

 fly in small parties of six or eight ; they much frequent dead 

 trees, whose bark is just beginning to fall, and are very amu- 

 sing to watch, being always in motion and very noisy ; they 

 begin rather low down on a tree, moving upwards by jumps 

 with a cry like the chatter of a Magpie to the time of our 

 green Woodpecker's laugh ; perhaps two or three will be 

 ascending one tree at the same time, trying the bark with 

 incessant taps, and wrenching open every likely crack with 

 their powerful chisel-beaks; when they reach the branches, 

 they hold a sort of discussion of tremendous chatter, and then 

 each takes his own branch, and the bark, here being usually 

 more decayed than on the stem, comes down in showers ; if 



