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Genus PICUS. 



Picus, Linnseus, Syst. Nat. i. p. 173 (1766). 

 Bendrocopus apud Koch, Baier. Zool. i. p. 72 (1816). 

 Bryobates apud Boie, Isis, 1828, p. 325. 

 Bendrodromas apud Kaup, Natiirl. Syst. p. 142 (1829). 

 Leuconotopicus apud Malherbe, Rev. Zool. 1845, p. 375. 

 Campethera apud Gray, Gen. of B. iii. App. p. 21 (1849). 

 Pipripicus apud Bonaparte, Consp. Vol. Zyg. p. 8 (1854). 

 Piculus apud Brehm, Naumannia, 1855, p. 274. 

 Bendrocoptes, apud Cabanis, Mus. Hein. v. p. 41 (1863). 

 Xylocopus apud Cabanis, Mus. Hein. v. p. 51 (1863). 



The group of Woodpeckers of which Picus major is the representative has a wide range, being 

 met with in the Palsearctic, Nearctic, Ethiopian, and Oriental Regions, eight species being found 

 in the Western Palsearctic Region. They frequent woods and groves, feeding on insects of 

 various kinds, which they obtain chiefly by digging into the bark and the decayed portions of 

 trees. They climb actively about the trunks of trees, holding on by their strong feet and sup- 

 porting themselves by their stiff tails. Their flight is tolerably strong and undulating ; but they 

 do not appear to traverse great distances, usually only flying from grove to grove or tree to tree. 

 Their note is a loud sharp gich, which is uttered now and then as they fly ; but, as a rule, most of 

 the species are not very noisy birds, except as regards the hammering sound they make. They 

 excavate their nest by boring into a tree, and deposit on the chips in the bottom of the cavity 

 thus formed their eggs, which are pure white, and glossy in texture. 



Picus major (which, it appears to me, should be looked on as the type of the genus) has the 

 bill stout, rather long, conical, pentagonal, straight, laterally bevelled at the tip so as to present 

 an abrupt wedge-like termination ; nostrils oblong, concealed by reversed bristly feathers ; wings 

 rather long, broad, the first quill very short, the second shorter than the seventh, the fourth and 

 fifth longest ; tail moderately long, wedge-shaped, the feathers stiff, the central ones deflected at 

 the tip ; feet short, the first toe very short, the fourth long, both directed backwards, the second 

 moderately long and united at the base to the third; claws strong, curved, acute, laterally 

 grooved. 



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