45 



PICUS LILFOBDL 



(GEECIAN WOODPECKER.) 



Picus lilfordi, Sharpe and Dresser, Ann. Nat. Hist. (4) viii. p. 436 (1871). 

 Picus leuconotus, Lilford, Ibis, 1860, p. 234 (nee Bechst.). 



3 ad. pileo lsete coccineo : fronte, supercilio, facie et collo laterali lactescenti-albis : genis nigris, infra in lateribus 

 pectoris decurrentibus, supra vix ad occiput pone regionem paroticam conjunctis, itaque plagam nigram 

 triquetram formantibus : dorso superiore nigerrimo : scapularibus et dorso postico toto alterne nigro 

 alboque transfasciatis : uropygio imo et supracaudalibus nigris : tectricibus alarum nigerrimis, minimis 

 dorso concoloribus, medianis et majoribus ad apicem albo maculatis, fascias alares formantibus : remi- 

 gibus nigris, extus et intus albo maculatis, et pogonio externo ad apicem ipsum albo notatis : Cauda 

 nigra, versus apicem plus minusve brunnescente, rectricibus tribus externis albo fasciatis, tertia minus 

 distincte transnotata, potius maculata : subtus lactescenti-albus, abdomine et subcaudalibus coccineis : 

 pectore superiore clariiis lactescente, hoc et corporis lateribus nigro distincte lineatis : subalaribus albis, 

 imis nigro notatis : rostro et pedibus plumbeis : iride rufescente. 



2 mari omnino similis : pileo nigro : subtus vix ita, distincte striata. 



d juv. simibs mari adulto, sed paullo obscurior, coloribus dilutioribus : pileo et abdomine pallide miniatis. 



Adult Male. Top of tbe bead ricb crimson ; forehead, feathers round the eye, and ear-coverts yellowish 

 white, the front of the head generally inclining to chestnut, probably the result of a stain ; cheeks 

 blue-black, extending backwards on to the sides of the neck, joining a crescent-shaped patch, which 

 widens out and extends upwards to the crown, uniting with the latter behind the ear-coverts and 

 spreading downwards on to the sides of the chest ; sides of the neck yellowish white ; interscapulary 

 region glossy blue-black, the rest of the back alternately crossed with broad bars of black and creamy 

 white ; upper tail-coverts black ; scapulars barred in the same manner as the lower back ; wing-coverts 

 glossy blue-black, the greater ones marked with a white spot near the tip, forming a very conspicuous 

 bar across the wing ; quills black, with very distinct white spots on both webs, and tipped with white 

 on the outer web ; spots on the secondaries larger, and taking more the form of bars ; tail-feathers 

 black, the tips brownish, the three outer feathers barred with white, decreasing in number and 

 regularity towards the third feather, which is only spotted with white ; under surface of the body 

 creamy white, with a rufous shade on the throat and fore neck ; sides of the breast and flanks very 

 distinctly striped with black; abdomen and under tail-coverts deep vermilion; under wing-coverts 

 whitish, with large black spots on the lower ones; bill and feet lead-colour; irides reddish. Total 

 length 10 - 5 inches, culmen 1*6, wing 5% tail 3"8, tarsus TO. 



Female. Exactly similar to the male, but the stripes on the lower parts not quite so distinct, and always to be 

 distinguished by the absence of the crimson crown, this part being blue-black bke the rest of the back. 



Younger Male. The black scarcely so glossy as in the old bird, and the white not so creamy in appearance. 

 The red on the head and belly is very much paler, and inclines to vermilion. 



The Grecian Woodpecker is closely allied to the northern Picus leuconotus, and has, until 

 recently, been considered identical with that species. It has fallen to our lot, however, to 



