70 



apicatis : remigibus nigris, extus albo maculatis et terminatis, secunclariorum pogoniis internis latius 

 albo maculatis, ut et pogoniis internis celatis primariorum : uropygio et supracaudalibus nigris : rec- 

 tricibus sex mediis nigris, reliquis pogonio externo et ad apicem pogonii interni albo maculatis et 

 terminatis, rectrice extima minima extus alba haud fasciata, : subtus albus, pectoris superioris lateribus 

 maculis triquetris vel longitudinalibus nigris notatis, hypochondriis crisso et subcaudalibus nigro trans- 

 fasciatis : subalaribus albis nigro transfasciatis et maculatis : cruribus nigris albo variegatis : rostro 

 plumbescenti-corneo : pedibus plumbeis : iride lsete rufescenti-brunneiL 



2 mari sirnillima, sed pictura, capitis diversa distinguenda : vertice flavo absente, pileo nigro antice albo vario. 



Juv. similis adultis, mas pileo flavo mixto agnoscendus, femina flavedine nulla : sed dorso plus minusve nigro 

 variegato, et hypochondriis corporisque lateribus cum crisso et subcaudalibus conspicue nigro trans- 

 versim fasciatis. 



Adult Male. Forehead and eyebrow, as well as the bristles covering the nostrils, blue-black, thickly spotted 

 with white ; crown of the head yellow, obsoletely barred across with whitish ; sides of the face and nape 

 blue-black, this colour forming a moustachial stripe and a line enveloping the eye and ear-coverts, and 

 extended on to the shoulder ; a white stripe drawn from the lores down the cheeks, and another from 

 the eye extending above the ear-coverts on to the sides of the neck and joining just behind the nape ; 

 middle of the back pure white ; scapulars blue-black ; rump black, with a few spots of white at the tip 

 of some of the upper tail-coverts ; wing-coverts and outer face of the wing glossy black, the primaries 

 externally spotted and tipped with small spots of white, the secondaries unspotted, excepting the 

 innermost, which have rather large spots of white on the inner web ; tail black, the three outermost 

 feathers barred and tipped with white, these bars being absent, however, on the little outside feather, 

 which is quite white on the outer web ; under surface of the body pure white, the sides of the upper 

 part of the breast marked with longitudinal or triangular black streaks ; sides of the body, flanks, and 

 under tail-coverts barred across with black; thighs black, slightly varied with "white; under wing- 

 coverts white, barred with black ; inner face of the wing black, spotted on the outer webs and barred 

 on the inner webs with white ; bill dark leaden-brown ; legs lead-colour ; iris rich dark reddish brown. 

 Total length 8*4 inches, culmen 1"2, wing 4 - 85, tail 3 - 5, tarsus 0*85. 



Adult Female. Similar in general markings to the male, but wanting the yellow crown. The head is 

 entirely blue-black, the forehead being covered with longitudinal white tips to the feathers, giving it a 

 hoary appearance. 



Young Birds. The young male resembles the adult of the same sex, but has the plumage browner, and the 

 yellow patch on the head is not nearly so large ; the middle of the back and the sides of the body white, 

 plentifully mottled and barred with black. The young female is similarly coloured and mottled to the 

 young male, and differs from the old female in not having the white on the forehead so distinct. 



Obs. After careful consideration we have come to the conclusion that Picus crissoleucus of Brandt is not in 

 any way separable from P. tridactylus, and is probably nothing more than the very old bird of the latter 

 species. It differs chiefly in having the lower flanks and vent white, with only a very few indications of 

 black spots ; but w r e have shown in our descriptions that the black markings are more or less a sign of 

 youth, and are less frequent in the older specimens. P. crissoleucus is stated by Professor Sundevall 

 to be in the Stockholm Museum, from Archangel ; but Mr. Meves tells us that it likewise occurs in 

 Sweden : " a female, purchased in the flesh at Munkbron in February, agreed with Picus crissoleucos 

 of Brandt, and was even whiter than an Archangel specimen in the Stockholm Museum." When at 



