I84aj 



of the Peninsula of India, 



211 



Woodpecker appears to belong to the most typical group of wood- 

 peckers, and is the only one of that group I have yet seen from the 

 peninsula. It is apparently a slightly aberrant species, leading to 

 Hemicircus by its short neck, and shurt and broad tail. The female is 

 said by Hors field (fid. Wagler) to differ from the male in having the 

 feathers of the head and crest orange, instead of scarlet. The only 

 female I procured, has the whole of the head and crest of a sooty 

 black, each feather ended with a white drop at its termination. This, 

 however, may have been a young bird. Irides yellow, bill blackish 

 lead colour; feet plumbeous. 



Length about 12 inches ; wing 6 ; tail 3 inches ; bill to front l-j-^^* 

 straight to gape 1 breadth at base above y^ths; anterior toe (with- 



out claw) ^Sg-ths; versatile do. 1 inch. 



The tale of this woodpecker differs from that of most others of the 

 family, in having the 4 centre feathers equally elongated, and all ex- 

 posed when the tail is closed, instead of the 2 centre ones only, as is 

 the case in most other species. The ends of all four are very much 

 worn, so that the barbs on either side extend a fifth of an inch beyond 

 the shaft. Its head is very broad also, and the whole body indeed is 

 remarkably thick and robust. 



Sub Genus HEMICIRCUS Swains. 



206.-— iyi* cordatus. — New species ? — Heart-spotted WoodpecJcer, 



Z>escr. *-Male, forehead and head, interscapular region, back, and 

 rump, shoulders, wing coverts, chin, throat, and stripe from lower 

 mandible running below the ears, of a light whitish yellow ; the fea- 

 thers of the wing coverts with a black heart-shaped spot at their ter- 

 mination. Face, cheeks, long occipital crest, nape, scapulars, quills, 

 upper and lower tail coverts, vent and tail, deep black. Beneath from 

 throat to the vent, dull green. On the centre of the back is a brush 

 of dark sap green feathers, rough and somewhat bristly, and some of 

 them smeared with a viscid secretion. Bill bluish black, legs 

 greenish black. Irides brownish red. Length nearly 6 inches ; wing 

 3|; tail lyV^hs ; tarsus ^''^ths j anterior external toe fVths ; versatile 

 toe nearly T^-g-ths ; bill to front i%-ths, at gape tV^is. The female diflfera 

 from the male only in the forehead and head being black, the feathers 

 tipped with very minute whitish spots. This very singular little 

 woodpecker, which is undescribed in Wagler's Monograph of the 

 genus, appears to belong to Swainson's sub-genus Hemicircus, by its 



