38 



A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Tarsus feathered on uppermost portion only. Outer hind -toe 

 longer than outer front toe. Colours black and white, with red 

 here and there. (" Dendrocopus " or " Picus " of many authors. 

 See note in Hand-List Brit. B., p. 100.) Many species in Europe, 

 America and Asia, only two in British Isles. 



Key to species of genus Dryobates. 



Larger, wing over 100 mm. ......... D. major, p. 



Smaller, wing under 100 mm. D. minor, p. 



38 

 42 



DRYOBATES MAJOR 



222. Dryobates major major (L. 

 SPOTTED WOODPECKER. 



-THE NORTHERN GREAT 



Picus major Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 114 (1758 — Europe. 



Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Dendrocopus major (Linnseus), Yarrell, n, p. 470 (part) ; Saunders, p. 275 



(part). 



Bills of; A. The British 

 Great Spotted Woodpecker 

 (Dryobates m. anglicus) ; 

 B. The Northern Great 

 Spotted Woodpecker (D. to. 

 major), showing extreme 

 differences. 



A. 



B. 



Description. — Adult male and female.- — Like D. m. anglicus but 

 scapulars and ear-coverts purer white, under-parts paler not so 

 brown, outer tail-feathers usually more widely barred black. 

 Moult as in D. m. anglicus, but autumn moult often not complete 

 until Nov. 



Measurements and structure. — (J wing 135-146 mm., tail 86-95, 

 tarsus 23-26, bill from skull 28-33, width at nostrils 10-12 (14 

 measured). $ wing 141-147, bill 28-33. Primaries : 1st usually 

 1-5 mm. shorter than longest primary-covert, sometimes 1-5 longer 

 (one 9 longer) in adults, in juveniles 4-12 longer, 4th longest, 5th 

 as long or 1-2 shorter, 2nd 20-25 shorter, 3rd 3-5 shorter, 6th 2-9 

 shorter ; 3rd to 6th emarginated outer webs. Rest of structure 

 as Green Woodpecker, but 4th toe rather larger than 3rd. Bill is 

 considerably stouter than in D. m. anglicus, not so striking in 

 measurement but obvious to the eye. 



