1837.] Description of three new species of Woodpecker. 105 



feeblest of these, as well as one intermediate species ; beginning with 

 the largest and ending with the least. 



Pician.«. Genus Picus Auctorum, sub-genus Picus, Swainson. 

 Species new. Picus Sultaneus, Royal Indian Woodpecker, nobis. 



This noble bird, facile princeps among the oriental Woodpeckers, 

 and second to none in the world in size, strength, and typical attributes, 

 is 15 inches long by 23 wide, with a weight of from 8 to 9 ounces. 



Form. Bill 2| inches long, a third longer than the head ; at base 

 higher than broad ; the ridges sharp and straight ; the sides strongly 

 angulated ; the tip perfectly wedged : extremely powerful and hard 

 throughout : great lateral angle of the maxilla, extending centrally 

 from the base three-fourths to the tip, where it is taken up by two 

 smaller angles proceeding ascendantly to the cuneate point, and 

 serving as ribs to fortify it* : lower mandible with the sides subangu- 

 lated after the manner of the upper ; its point similarly wedged, but 

 with only one terminal rib instead of two. Nares, elliptic, lateral, 

 closed superiorly by the ledge of the great lateral angle of the bill ; 

 vaguely membraned, and more or less free from the nuchal tuft of 

 plumes : orbits, nude : head, large and broad with a pointed crest : 

 neck, slender and uncrested : tarsi longer than the anteal, shorter 

 than the posteal, outer toe : the latter t3e conspicuously the long- 

 est : the grasp extremely oblique, with the two hinder toes direct- 

 ed laterally outwards, and capable of being brought to the front. 

 Talons very falcate, acute, and angulated beneath near the tips: 

 wings, medial, reaching nearly to the centre of the tail : 5th quill 

 longest: 4.th and 6th sub-equal to it: 1st, three inches, and 2nd, one 

 inch less the 5th : primaries plus the tei tiaries, one inch. Tail, ex- 

 tremely strong, moderately wedged : the six central feathers with the 

 shafts bent inwards, and the webs vei-y spinous ; the laterals similar 

 but less strong ; the tips of the whole bifurcate. 



Color. Top of the head and lower back, carmine : upper back 

 and wings, externally golden yellow : band from the eyes round the 

 forehead, ruddy brown : neck, from the eyes, laterally, black ; an- 

 teally and posteally, white, with five black gular stripes on the anteal 

 aspect : breast black with large central drops of white, more or less 

 brunescent : rest of the body below, and lining of the wings, white, 

 transversely barred with black : rectrices and their upper coverts, pure 



* In no other species have I noticed more than one sub-terminal lateral 

 an^le ; nor is there any other, with the power this possesses, of directing the 

 whole of the toes to the front. The better to shew the pre-eminence of this 

 species, I will add to my paper the description of another belonging to the same 

 sub-genus. See Pyrrhotis in the sequel. 

 P 



