1540,] of the Peninsula of India. 213 



This little woodpecker is found in the more open spaces of all the 

 larger jungles, whether on the east coast as in Goomsoor, or in the 

 Malabar coast, where it is far from being uncommon, and is even oc- 

 casionally found in avenues and gardens. In Goomsoor I found it fre- 

 quenting the bamboos, and its tapping on the hard branches of these 

 trees caused a loud sound, heard to a great distance. It does not con- 

 fine itself to the larger branches, hopping and climbing actively about 

 the smaller twigs, and feeding on various small insects and larvee. 



Irides yellow, naked orbitar skin, pink colour. Length 5 inches ; wine 

 3 ; tail 1 J ; bill to front , 5 ^ths ; at gape nearly _7_ths. 



I possess a specimen shot in the Wynaad, which differs from all other 

 specimens of this bird, which I have seen (as well as from the colour of 

 the bird well represented in Hardwicke's Illustrations) in the much dark- 

 er colour of the head and back, which are almost black instead of alight 

 sooty brown. It has also less white beneath, its bill appears to be 

 somewhat larger, and its feet perhaps rather less, but it is so similar 

 in other respects that I do not venture to separate it. 



Genus MALACOLOPHUS, Swains. 

 Sub Genus BRACHYLOPHUS, Swains. 



210.— B. Squamalus.—P. Squamatus, Vigors.— Gould's Cent. Him, 

 Birds ?— P. dimidiatus, of Gray and Hardwicke's 111. I. Z ? not of 

 Temminck and W agler.— Scaly-bellied Woodpecker. 



Although there are some slight discrepancies between my specimens 

 and the description and figuie in Gould's Century of the P. Squamatus, 

 I have little doubt but that they are identical. I have found the scaly- 

 lellied Woodpecker only on the western coast in well wooded districts, 

 from the close neighbourhood and level of the sea, to the summit of the 

 Neilgherries, where it is tolerably abundant, both in the thick woods, 

 and among the brushwood. It in general does not ascend high on trees, 

 keeping to the lower branches, and I have on several occasions seen it 

 alight on the ground. In the most perfect specimens I possess, the 

 throat and breast are nearly entirely green, the indications of the 

 scaly markings being faint and undecided, the belly and vent are green- 

 ish white, with the scalings of the feathers much more numerous and 

 smaller than are represented in the plate of Gould's Century, and the 

 spots on the tail are almost obsolete and of a greenish dusky tinge. 

 There is also a black nuchal mark. Irides pink, surrounded by a white 



