804 Note to the Catalogue of the Birds [Aug. 



ally prevailing ; lower tail-coverts crimson, and probably the crown also 

 of the male. Four middle tail-feathers black, the white less developed 

 on the others than in P. Macei. Length probably about 8 in. ; of wing 

 4£ in. ; span of foot If in. : beak from forehead 1J in. Inhabits the 

 Tenasserim provinces. 



Four nearly affined species exist in P. atratus, P. Macei, P. analis, 

 and P. pectoralis, nobis, J". A. S. XV, 15. The last would seem to 

 approximate very nearly P. analis, Horsfield, -vel Wagnerii, Hartlaub ; 

 but it has merely a very faint tinge of red on the lower tail-coverts. 



No. 304. P. gymnopthalmos, nobis. This little Woodpecker so 

 nearly resembles P. moluccensis (No. 301), that the same description 

 °f the upper-parts would nearly serve for both ; but the under-parts 

 are strea/dess rufescent-white, except the lower tail-coverts which have 

 blackish centres. The crown also differs in being of an uniform sooty- 

 black, a little brownish towards the lores only ; the outer webs of the 

 primaries are wholly dusky-black without markings ; and all the tail- 

 feathers have series of two or three white spots along the border of 

 each web, not developed into bands. The black generally is also more 

 intense than in P. moluccensis; and there is a small naked orbital 

 space, less developed in P. variegatus. We have only seen the female, 

 but Mr. Layard informs us that the male has "a slender brilliant 

 crimson ear-stripe." 



Inhabits Ceylon ; where generally observed singly upon dead trees. 

 (Layard.) 



No. 299. P. RUBRiCATUs, nobis. The male of this was described 

 as a particularly fine old male of P. pygmceus (No. 300) in J, A. S. 

 XIV, 197; but we have since seen many specimens of P. pygmceus 

 from the N. W. Himalaya, none of which had the crimson sincipital 

 tuft more developed than in P. moluccensis; whereas of numerous 

 examples of the present bird from Darjiling, the males had invariably 

 this crimson much more developed, in some forming a broad occipital 

 band completely across, and in all tendiug more or less to do so, the 

 lateral portions being generally (though not always) more developed than 

 the medial. There is no other difference, and the females are absolutely 

 alike. The specimens which Mr. Hodgson sent from the intermediate 

 country of Nepal were all true P. pygmceus, and Capt. Hutton assures 

 us that he never saw the sincipital tuft of the N. W. race developed as 

 in that of Sikim. 



