170 



LITTLE WOODPECKER. 

 (Picus pubescens.) 



P. albo nigroque varius, subtus griseo albus, rectrice extima nigra 



maculis quatuor albis. 

 Woodpecker varied with black and white, beneath greyish 



white ; outer tail-feather black, with four white spots. 

 Picus pubescens. Lin. Syst. Nat. 1. 175. 15. — Gmel. Syst. Nat. 



1. 435. — Lath. Ind. Orn. 1. 232. 20. — Vieil. Ois. de VAmer. 



Sept. 2. 65. 



Picus varius virginianus minor. Briss. 4. 50. 18. 

 Petit Pic varie de Virginie. Buff. Hist. Nat. Ois. 7. ?6* 

 Le Pic minule. Vieil. Ois. de VAmer. Sept. 2. (>5. 121. 

 Downy Woodpecker. Pen. Arct. Zool. 2. 163. 

 Little Woodpecker. Lath. Gen. Syn. 2. 573. 19. — Lath. Sup. 

 109. 



This most destructive and minute species of 

 Woodpecker is very similar in appearance to P. 

 villosus, and might be easily mistaken for that 

 bird were it not much less, being only five inches 

 and a half in length : beak three quarters of an 

 inch long, and horn-coloured: top of the head 

 black ; above the eye on each side is a white line : 

 hind parts of the head red : upper parts of the body 

 black ; with a similar line of white to that of the 

 last passing down the back : greater wing-coverts 

 and quills spotted with white : under parts of the 

 body pale grey : tail black ; the four middle fea- 

 thers plain ; the rest barred with white and black : 

 legs and claws black : female has the back of the 

 head white instead of red. 



