89 



GECINUS SHARPII. 



(SHARPE'S GREEN WOODPECKER.) 



Gecinus sharpii, Saunders, P. Z. S. 1872, p. 153. 

 Gecinus viridis auct. (ex Hisp. merit!.). 



d supra viridis, uropygio et supraeaudalibus lsetissirne aureo-flavis, vix aurantiacis : tectricibus alarum dorso 

 concoloribus, sed paullo olivaceo lavatis : remigibus et ala spuria nigricanti-brunneis extiis albo, basin 

 versus pennarum sordide viridi raaculatis, secundariis viridibus tectricibus concoloribus : cauda nigri- 

 cante, basin versus olivaceo lavata, rectricibus duabus centralibus et extimis brunneo et viridi alterne 

 transnotatis : pileo et vitta lata malari lsete coccineis : facie laterali cinerea, loris et genis anticis vix 

 nigricantibus : regione parotica, et collo laterali pallide viridibus : subtus flavescens, hypochondriis viridi 

 lavatis : subalaribus albis, flavo lavatis, nigro irregulariter transfasciatis : rostro nigricanti-corneo, man- 

 dibulse basi laetissime flava : pedibus saturate plumbeis : iride caerulescenti-albL 



2 mari similis, sed vitta malari nigra, distinguenda. 



J juv. viridis, dorsi plumis albido indistincte transnotatis : subtus albicans, gutture minute, corpore reliquo 

 subtus magis distincte fusco transnotatis : pileo et fascia mystacali coccineis. 



$ juv. mari similis, sed fascia mystacali fusca distinguenda. 



Adult Male. Above green; lower part of back rather lighter; rump and upper tail-coverts bright yellow, 

 almost inclining to orange ; crown of head to the hinder part of the nape slate-grey, closely streaked 

 ■with brilliant crimson, which streaks are confluent on the nape ; lores, eyebrows, and the region round 

 the eye slate-grey ; a broad malar stripe crimson ; hinder part of the ear-coverts, sides of neck, and 

 entire underparts pale greenish grey, inclining more to pale yellowish-green on the abdomen; wing- 

 coverts the same as the back ; the primary coverts brown, with a greenish tinge, each feather with several 

 pale brown spots ; quills dark brown, the external web barred with whitish on the outer quills, and 

 with pale greenish-brown on the inner primaries, the inner web being barred with dull white ; secon- 

 daries with the outer web the same colour as the back, and the inner web dark brown, barred with 

 white ; under wing-coverts white, barred with dark brown ; tail dark brown, washed with greenish, and 

 indistinctly barred with paler brown ; under tail-coverts grey, with a greenish tinge ; bill dark lead- 

 grey, blackish at the point, the under mandible being yellowish at the base and to over half its length ; 

 legs dark grey; iris bluish white. Total length 108 inches, culmen T5, wing 6'3, tail 4'2, tarsus 1"1. 



Adult Female. Similar to the male, but having the moustachial stripe black instead of crimson. 



Young. Is very similar indeed to the young of G. viridis ; but even at this early age it shows the grey 

 sides of the face, which are the chief characteristics of the species. It differs from the adults in being 

 mottled all over the back and breast ; and the young male is distinguished from the young female by 

 its red moustache. 



The present species was, until quite lately, considered identical with the common Green Wood- 

 pecker ; and former authors writing on Spanish ornithology have referred to it as such. Its 



D 



