140 pioiD^ 



MESOPICUS 



itself is longer than the outer anterior one. Plumage never barred 

 or spotted above. 



This genus contains eight species, only one of which is found 

 within our limits ; all are confined to the Ethiopian region. 



442. Mesopicus griseocephalus. Olive Wood-pecker. 



Picus griseocephalus, Bodd. Tahl. PI. En. p. 49 (1783). 



Picus menstruus. Scop. Del. Fl. et Faun. Insuhr. ii, p. 39 (1786). 



Pious capensis, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i, p. 430 (1788) ; Orill, K. Vet. Ahad. 



Handl. ii, no. 10, p. 44 (1858) [Knysna]. 

 Le Pio olive, Levaill. Ois. d'Afr. vi, p. 16, pis. 248, 249 (1808). 

 Dendrobates griseocephalus, Ouvney, Ibis, 1864, p. 353 [Natal] ; 



Layard, B. 8. Afr. p. 236 (1867). 

 Dendropicus menstruus, Sliarpe, ed. Layard' s B. S. Afr. pp. 191, 812 



(1875-84) ; Barratt, This, 1876, p. 200 [Transvaal] ; Butler, Feilden, 



and Beid, Zool. 1882, p. 208 [Newcastle] . 

 Mesopicus menstruus, Ayres, Ibis, 1876, p. 432 [Lydeuburg] . 

 Mesopicus griseocephalus. Hargitt, Ibis, 1883, p. 417 ; id. Cat. B. M: 



xviii, p. 371 (1890) ; Shelley, B. Afr. i, p. 133 (1896) ; Sharpe, Ibis, 



1897, p. 501 [Echowe] ; Woodivard Bros. Natal B. p. 105 (1899). 



Fig. 45. — Mesopicus griseocephalus. x -,%. 



Description. Adult male. — Forehead, above the eyes, ear- 

 coverts, cheeks and throat slaty; crown of the head, rump and 

 upper tail-coverts crimson ; back and scapulars golden-olive ; wing- 

 quills dusky, washed externally with olive and with white spots on 

 the inner webs only ; tail-feathers dusky-black ; below, dull olive- 

 grey washed with golden-olive with a tinge of crimson on the breast 

 and with a patch of crimson wash on the middle of the abdomen ; 

 under wing-coverts banded black and white ; tongue long, horny, 

 and barbed at the tip. 



