Orrt>T not *7j/ but ffoi^- 



[From the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 

 February G, 1872.] 



On a new Species of Green Woodpecker from Southern 

 Europe. By Howard Saunders, F.Z.S. &c. 



When my friends Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser were describing the 

 Green Woodpecker {Gecinus viridis) in the ' Birds of Europe,' I 

 lent them a specimen from Granada, Spain, which Mr. Sharpe at 

 once perceived was not true G. viridis, But for the time, and in the 

 absence of a series, we were disposed to refer it to G. vaillantii 

 (Malherbe, Picid. vol. ii. p. 122, iv. pi. 82). I immediately exerted 

 myself to obtain specimens of this bird from different parts of Spain ; 

 and I have now before me a series from four very distinct localities, 

 all, however, south of the Sierra de la Guadarrama, which will pro- 

 bably prove to be in this case, as in several others, the dividing line 

 between the northern and southern resident avifauna*. 



These specimens, agreeing amongst themselves, differ so strikingly 

 from both G. viridis and G. vaillantii that there" can be little doubt 

 of their belonging to a new and hitherto undescribed species, which 

 I propose to call 



Gecinus sharpei, sp. nov., 



after my friend Mr. R. B. Sharpe, to whom the credit of discrimi- 

 nating it is entirely due. 



J . G. viridi simillimus, sed facie later all cinerea, fascia mysta- 

 cali omnino coccinea, et uropygio flavo facile distinguendus . 



$ . Mari similis, sed gutture magis cinereo : fascia mystacali 

 nigra. 



Obs. A G. vaillantii (Malh.) hsec species fascia mystacali maris 

 coccinea et pileo feminino toto coccineo distinguenda est. 



This species is principally distinguishable from G. viridis by the 

 grey face and by the absence of the black streak over the eye in 

 both sexes. Minor points of difference are the brilliant crimson 

 moustache in the adult male, instead of lake on a black ground as 

 in G. viridis, and the deep chrome-yellow on the rump in both 



* In confirmation of this I may observe that I have lately examined a Green 

 Woodpecker from the Pyrenees which is true G, viridis, as are all the French 

 specimens which have come under my notice. 



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