34 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Subfamily PICIN^. 



Tail-feathers pointed, stiff and strong-shafted, used as prop 

 when climbing trunks of trees, nostrils covered by stiff antrorse 

 feathers. Numerous genera, but of the 50 recognized in Catalogue 

 of Birds and Sharpe's Handlist many useless, being based on colour 

 only. Only two genera British. 



Key to genera of subfamily Picin^. 



Colour more or less green Picus, p. 34 



Colour black and white with some red, no green . . Dryobates, p. 37 



Genus PICUS L. 



Picus Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 112 (1758 — Type by subsequent 

 designation of Swainson 1820 and Kaup 1829 : Picus viridis). Synonym : 

 Gecinus Boie. 



Green Woodpeckers differ from Spotted and Black Woodpeckers 

 by thicker, not remarkably thin, neck. Pour toes. Outer front 

 toe as long as or longer than outer hind -toe. Colour generally 

 green. Many forms in Europe and Asia, only one British. 



PICUS VIRIDIS 



22i. Picus viridis virescens (Brehm)*. — THE GREEN 

 WOODPECKER. 



Gecintts virescens Brehm, Handb. Naturg. Vog. Deutschl., p. 199 



(1831 — In winter in Germany). 



(Picus brehmi Kleinschmidt, Ornis Germanica, 3rd ed., p. 5 (1919 — 



New name for " frondium," which is preoccupied, as is pinetorum) need 



therefore not be used.) 



Picus viridis pluvius Hartert, Brit. B., v, p. 125, Hand-List, p. 100 (1912). 



Gecinus viridis (Linnaeus), Yarrell, n, p. 457 ; Saunders, p. 273. 



Description. — Adult male. Winter. — Fore-head, crown and ex- 

 tending down centre of nape crimson mottled grey, feathers being 

 grey with narrow and somewhat pointed crimson tips ; sides of 

 nape greyish-green ; mantle, scapulars and back green, feathers on 

 back of neck frequently, and on mantle and scapulars occasionally 

 with more golden -green tips ; rump bright greenish-} T ellow with 



* British examples do not quite reach the extreme size of some middle 

 European specimens, but the proportion of these larger individuals is so 

 small that I do not consider a separation into two races justified. The 

 measurements are as follows : 



c£ British ... wing 157-165 mm. bill 42-48 30 measured. 



Continental „ 158-168 „ „ 43-50 18 

 $ British ... „ 159-165 (1-168) „ 42-48 22 



Continental „ 159-169 „ „ 43-48 22 „ H.F.W. 



