CHRYSOCOLAPTES XANTHOCEPHALUS, rvaiden. 



Negros Yellow-faced Woodpecker. 



Chrysocolaptes xanthocephalus, Walden & Layard, Ibis, 1872, p. 99, pi. iv.— Walden, Trans. Zool. Soc. ix. 

 p- 147.— Sharpe, Trans. Linn. Soc, 2nd series, Zoology, vol. i. part 5. 



The Philippine Islands seem to possess several peculiar species of Woodpeckers, all belonging to the same 

 type. Thus C. hcematribon inhabits Luzon, C. xanthocephalus is found in Negros, while C. maculiceps 

 is the representative form in Basilan, and C . erythrocephalus in Palawan; both these latter species 

 were discovered by Dr. Steere. There is also a fifth species, C. lucidus, from Luzon, with which, Lord 

 Tweeddale thinks, Mr. Sharpe's C. maculiceps may be identical. 



The subject of the present article was discovered in the island of Negros by Mr. L. C. Layard, who, 

 however, only succeeded in capturing a female bird. This, however, was so evidently distinct that Lord 

 Tweeddale had no difficulty in separating it specifically. He remarks: — "The carmine dorsal colouring of 

 this species closely resembles that of Ch. carlotta (Malh.), Ch. haBmatribon (Wagler), and Brachypternus 

 erythronotus (V.) apud Malherbe. The male bird may prove to possess a red head, as in the rest of the 

 genus." That this latter supposition was correct has now been proved by Dr. Steere's specimen, which was 

 also procured in the island of Negros. He says: — "I saw more of this Woodpecker, which was not rare; 

 but I had the greatest difficulty in getting about the forests in Negros, owing to the obstruction caused by 

 the trees blown down in a recent typhoon." 



The following is the description of the male bird given by Mr. Sharpe : — 



" General colour above ruddy crimson, all the feathers olive-brown at the base, the upper tail-coverts 

 entirely of the latter colour, with a crimson wash on their margins ; scapulars and wing coverts exactly 

 resembling the back, the bastard wing, primary-coverts, and quills brown, externally yellowish olive, the 

 secondaries brown, inclining to olive on the outer webs, which are externally crimson, like the back; all 

 the quills spotted with white on the inner web, much more largely on the secondaries; tail-feathers dark 

 brown, with a slight wash of olive on the outer webs ; crown of head bright crimson, with yellow bases to 

 the feathers ; lores, eyebrow, and entire sides of face bright yellow, as also the throat, which is bordered on 

 each side with a narrow black moustachial line, and has also another down the centre of the throat ; sides 

 of neck yellow, with three lines of black running down from behind the ear-coverts ; neck all round and fore 

 neck scaly in appearance, the feathers being yellowish buff, fringed with black ; remainder of under surface 

 yellowish buff, the sides of the body somewhat streaked with olive-brown ; under wing-coverts dull fulvous, 

 with olive-brown margins to the feathers, which are also slightly washed with red ; bill stone-brown (in 

 skin); legs yellowish, claws black; 'iris carmine' (^Steere). Total length 10*5 inches, culmen 16, wing 

 5-6, tail 3-8, tarsus 105." 



The figure of the male bird in the Plate is taken from the skin procured by Dr. Steere at San Bernar- 

 dino, Negros, and kindly lent to me by him. For the loan of the female I have to thank the Marquis of 

 Tweeddale, who has been so good as to forward it to me for the purpose of the present work. The two 

 figures are about the natural size. 



