PICUS SANCTI-JOHANNIS. 



(ST.-JOHN'S WOODPECKER.) 



Picus sancti-johannis, Blanford, Ibis, 1873, p. 226. 



Picus medius, Danford, Ibis, 1877, p. 26-1 (nee Linn.). 



Picus medius, var. sancti-johannis, Radde, Orn. Cauc. p. 313 (1884). 



Lendrocoptes sancti-johannis (Blanf.), Hargitt, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. xviii. p. 288 (1890). 



Tachdelen in Asia Minor (Danford). 



Figurce notabiles. 

 Blanford, E. Pers. ii. pi. ix.; Radde, Orn. Cauc. pi. xix. fig. 3. 



Ad. affinis P. medio, sed pileo minus roseo, pectore albo hand fulvo, abdomine medio flavo, crisso subcaudali- 

 busque solis coccineis, pectoris lateribus abdomineque striis nigris angustioribus signatis : rectricibus 

 extimis fascia unica alba mediocri transversa, nee duabus latis notatis, penultimis extiis albo maculatis, 

 haud fasciatis, reliquis omnino nigris : remigibus e contrario maculis albis majoribus signatis. 

 (Blanford.) 



Adult Male (Gozna, Taurus, December 15th). Resembles Picus mediuSjhut the underparts are more richly 

 tinged with yellow and red, and much more boldly striped with black, and the red on the crown is of 

 a more brilliant crimson ; the two lateral tail-feathers have the white bars much narrower than in 

 P. medius, the black bars being consequently much broader and more conspicuous. Total length 

 8 inches, culmen l - 02, wing 4'75, tail 2'9, tarsus 078. 



Adult Female (Gozna, December 24th). Undistinguisbable in plumage from the male. Culmen 0'9 inch, 

 wing 4" 7, tail 2'85, tarsus 0'78. 



Young Male (Smyrna, June 30th). Much duller in plumage than the adult, the red on the crown duller 

 and paler; underparts dull white, irregularly striped and blotched with black; the lower abdomen 

 tinged with pale red. 



The present species is very closely allied to Picus medius, differing chiefly in being smaller, in 

 having the underparts of a richer yellow and deeper red, and the outer tail-feathers more broadly 

 barred with black, and is found in South-east Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, and Persia. 



In the British Museum there are specimens from Belgrade, on the Danube, and Petin-a-hore, 

 in Turkey, and, according to Mr. C. G. Danford (Ibis, 1878, p. 7), it is " common everywhere in 

 Asia Minor in oak- and fir-woods, but rarely seen among the cedars. Specimens of this bird and 

 P. danfordi, killed near villages, always had sooty breasts, caused by the trees in such situations 

 being smoke-begrimed." Canon Tristram (Ibis, 1882, p. 418) met with it in Syria amongst the 

 cedars between Beshni and Nadjar. It appears to me most probable that this is the Woodpecker 

 referred to by Nordmann (in Demidoff's Voy. &c. iii. p. 210) as being a rare visitant to the 



