44 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 85-88 mm., tail 49-53, 

 tarsus 13-15, bill from skull 16-17 (12 measured). 9 wing 85- 

 89 (one 91). Primaries : 1st 1-3 mm. longer and occasionally 

 1-2 shorter than longest primary-covert in adult but rather longer 

 (5-7 mm.) in juvenile, 4th and 5th longest but not always quite 

 equal, 2nd 13-19 shorter (equal to 8th or between 7th and 8th), 

 3rd 1-3 shorter but occasionally equal to 4th and 5th, 6th 1-2 shorter ; 

 3rd to 6th slightly emarginated outer webs. Secondaries between 

 9th and 10th primaries, tips rounded. Rest of structure as Green 

 Woodpecker, but 4th toe rather larger than 3rd. 



Soft parts. — Bill greyish-black ; legs and feet dark greenish- 

 grey ; iris red -brown. 



Characters and allied forms. — D. m. minor (Scandinavia, 

 Russia) is larger, has whiter under-parts and more conspicuous 

 streaks on sides of breast and wider black bars on outer tail-feathers ; 

 D. m. hortorum (middle Europe) has breast-streaks and wider black 

 bars on tail-feathers as in D. m. minor but is intermediate both 

 in size and colour of under-parts between that form and D. m. 

 comminutus ; D. m. buturlini (Italy, south France), has wider 

 breast and flank streaks and more closely barred outer tail-feathers ; 

 D. m. ledouci (north-west Africa) is very close to last but black 

 is more intense ; D. m. danfordi (Asia Minor) is much like last but 

 with a black line circling ear-coverts ; D. m. colchicus (Caucasus) 

 has black line round ear-coverts broken and breast - streaks 

 narrower ; D. m. quadrifasciatus (Lenkoran) is said to have very 

 brown under-parts without black streaks and median coverts 

 without or with much restricted white at tips ; D. m. morgani 

 (south-west Persia) has long bill, black line encircling ear-coverts 

 which are whitish and broad bars on outer tail-feathers ; D. m. 

 kamtschatkensis (Siberia) is larger, has whiter under-parts than 

 D. m. minor, fewer and paler flank-streaks and more white on 

 back and wing-coverts ; D. m. immaculatus (Kamtschatka, Anadyr) 

 is like last, but pure white on under-parts, scarcely streaked and 

 still whiter on back ; D. m. minutillus (Ussuri, Yezo, Sachalin) 

 is much like D. m. minor but has finer bill and usually less pro- 

 nounced barring on back. Small size, crimson top of crown in 

 male and whitish in female and barred scapulars and back, black 

 streaks on flanks and absence of crimson on under tail-coverts 

 distinguish it from D. major. 



Field -characters. — In general form and habits resembles Greater 

 Spotted Woodpecker, but is smaller — approximately size of Chaffinch, 

 plumage is barred rather than pied, and crimson patches are less 

 vivid. Flight slow and hesitating. Would often escape notice, 

 as it affects upper branches of trees more than trunk and limbs, 

 but for its spring rattle — -very similar to, but not so loud as Greater 

 Spotted's — and its notes, " kick-kick " and, in spring, a loud "pee- 

 pee-pee," like call of Wryneck. 



