40 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Northants, Dec, 1889 ; Perth, Oct., 1891 ; Forfar, Nov., 1892 ; 

 Lines., Oct., 1898 ; Sussex, Nov., 1903 ; Northumberland, Nov., 

 1904 ; Berwick, March, 1906 ; Yorks. and Forth, Sept., 1909 ; Fair 

 Isle, several Sept. -Oct., 1909; East Ross, Oct., 1909; Aberdeen, 

 Dec, 1909 ; Sussex, Nov., 1910. 



Distribution. — Abroad. — North Europe, from tree-limit as far 

 south as East Prussia, north and middle Russia and Siberia. 

 Accidental Faeroes. In winter somewhat vagrant, thus appearing 

 sometimes out of its range. Replaced by allied forms in central, 

 west, and south Europe, Canaries, north-west Africa, and manjr 

 parts of Asia. 



22.2,. Dryobates major anglicus (Hart.)— THE BRITISH 

 GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER. 



Dendrocoptis major anglicus Hartert, Nov. Zool., 1900, p. 528 (Eng- 

 land) ; id., Brit. B., I, p. 221. 

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



(part). 



Description. — Adult male. Winter. — Bristle-like feathers covering 

 nostrils black ; fore-head buff to bumsh-white ; crown, back of 

 neck, mantle, back, rump and upper tail-coverts glossy jet-black, 

 feathers with grey bases ; across nape a band of crimson, feathers 

 having crimson tips ; scapulars white, often tinged brownish ; 

 lores, narrow line over eye, broader line under eye, behind eye 

 and ear-coverts and a patch on each side of hind-neck white, often 

 tinged brownish ; broad black line from base of lower mandibles 

 down sides of throat and curving inwards on sides of upper-breast 

 and joining black of upper -parts above and below white patch on 

 sides of hind-neck (occasionally some crimson-tipped feathers at 

 ends of band on breast and sometimes a touch or two of crimson 

 between ends of band) ; centre of belly, lower part of flanks and 

 under tail-coverts crimson ; rest of under-parts pale 

 brown to brownish -white ; axillaries and under wing- 

 coverts white and latter covering outer primaries 

 marked blackish -brown ; tail : two central pairs 

 black (2nd pair sometimes with a spot of pale 

 brown near tip), 3rd pair with brownish -white tip 

 crossed by a black band, next two pairs (outer 

 pairs) with basal half black and distal half dull 

 white with two black bands varying but proximal 

 one usually not crossing outer web, outermost 

 (dwarf) pair black ; primaries and secondaries black 

 with white spot-like bars on outer webs and rounder Outermost dwarf 



., ,.., i .. -, . .. <. . tail-feather of 



tooth-like white marks on inner portions ot inner British Great 

 webs, 1st primary with no white on outer web, 2nd p^er d (D°°m. 

 with white on outer web only at base, spots on inner anglicus). 

 webs varying but usually only on basal halves of 

 2nd to 5th primaries ; all wing-coverts black but inner feathers 



