144 WHITE-RUMPED WOODPECKER. 



fairly enter a verdict of "not guilty" on this count. 



The White-rumped Woodpecker builds, like its con- 

 geners, in the holes of trees, particularly oaks. It 

 lays four or five clear white shining eggs. 



Although I have specimens kindly sent me by Mr. 

 Wheelwright, I will let that gentleman speak for 

 himself, as his description is drawn up from birds 

 recently killed. Male; length ten inches and three 

 quarters; expanse of wing seventeen inches; tail be- 

 yond the wings. Head above, carmine red; forehead 

 white, with a brown tinge. Around, and at the back 

 of the eyes, a large white spot, and another below 

 on the sides of the neck; throat white. From the 

 under mandible a black streak extends backwards 

 under the eyes, and becoming broader at the back of 

 the ears, passes down the sides of the throat to the 

 breast. Breast white, with a greenish yellow tinge, 

 and having, as well as the flanks, longitudinal streaks 

 of black; belly and under tail coverts red. Neck 

 above, top of back, and lesser wing coverts glossy 

 black; the middle and lower part of back white; 

 outer half of greater wing coverts white; the secon- 

 daries transversely barred with black and white, 

 which arises from a series of white round spots, placed 

 on the edges of each web at regular intervals, a sim- 

 ilar effect being produced by the same means on the 

 primaries, giving a barred appearance to the whole 

 wing when closed. The first primary is about the 

 same length as the sixth, and both are much shorter 

 than the intervening four. Upper tail feathers and 

 coverts coal black; the under ones cream-colour, bar- 

 red with black, and becoming rufous at the tip. Iris 

 nut brown; beak horn blue; legs lead grey. 



The female has the head glossy black above; fore- 



