342 WOODPECKER. 



A. — Picus medius, Tnd.Orn.'u 229. Lin. i. 176. Faun. Suec. No. 1 01. Gm.Lin.i. 



436. Scop. Ann.'i. No. 34. Brun. No. 41. Midler, No. 100. Georgi. p. 165. D^c. 



?-?m. ii. 143. Tern. Mara, d' Orn. 244. /d. .Ed. ii. p. 399. Sepp Vog. t. p. 41. the 



young in the nest. 

 Picus varius minor, Rail Syn. p. 43. 5. 



, Bris. iv 38. t. 2. f. 1. Id. 8vo.ii. 52. Gerin. 1. 166. 169 ? 



major, Will. t. 21. 



Der mittlere Buntspecht, fVirsing Vog. t. 37. Naturf.ix. s. 55. No. 57. 



Pic varie a tete rouge, PL enl. 611. 



Middle Spotted Woodpecker, Gen. Syn. ii. 565. Id. Sup. p. 107. Br. Zool. i. No. 86. 



t.37. Id. 1812. p. 321. pi. 41. Arct. Zool. ii. p. 278. D. Bewick, i. 119. ieitin 



jBfrd*-, t. 48. fFa/cof Syn. i. t. 49. Pwft. Cat. Dors. p. 6. Orn. Diet. 



This is a trifle smaller than the last; it differs from it in having 

 the colours less clear, and denned, otherwise one description might 

 serve, except that the whole crown of the head is crimson, instead of 

 only the back part of it. Most authors have described it as distinct, 

 but later observations seem to prove that it is only a young bird in its 

 first feathers, and we rather suspect that both sexes may have the whole 

 of the crown crimson, till the first moult,* when the males retain 

 only the hinder part, and the females lose that colour entirely ; certain 

 it is, that birds, with the crimson crowns, are only met with at the 

 latter end of the year, or from July to November, and then witli 

 evident signs of youth about them ; and if late in the year, the 

 crimson on the top of the head has a mixture of blackish feathers, 

 though the back part is of a full crimson. 



One similar to this, seen in a drawing from India, had the whole 

 crown dusky yellow, or buff-colour ; all beneath, rump, and vent, 

 pale cinereous grey; middle of the belly dull crimson. 



Among others, in the collection of drawings of Indian Birds, 

 communicated by Dr. Buchanan, is one answering to the Middle 



* Orn. Diet. In Sepp's plate of the Great Spotted Woodpecker, all the young in the 

 nest have the crowns red. M. Temminck is of opinion, that it is a distinct Species. 



