212 



Catalogue of the Birds 



short and broad tail ; short neck ; large feet, and excessively long 

 wings. Its crest is tolerably long and somewhat pointed, and when 

 raised, from the smallness of the neck, gives a triangular appearance 

 to the head. The body is thick and dumpy. Of what use the pecu- 

 liar brush-like feathers of the back are, it would be difficult to conjecture. 

 I have found this woodpecker in the forests of Malabar, and also seen 

 it in the Wynaad. It is also enumerated in Mr. Elliot's Catalogue. 



It is, however, a rare bird ; I have temporarily named it *' Cordatiis'* 

 from the heart-shaped spots on the wing coverts. 



Sub Genus DENDROCOPUS, Swains. 



207. — Mahrattensis. — P. MahrattensiSf Auct. — P. hesmasomat 

 Wagler. — Red-'hellied Woodpecker. 



This is the most universally spread of all the peninsular species of 

 woodpecker. I have seen it, though rarely, in the Carnatic ; frequent 

 on the wooded west coast, though not in the denser jungles ; and even 

 occasionally met with it in groves of trees in the bare Deccan. I 

 have seen it, also, on the summit of the Neilgherries. I found it 

 most abundant in the Wulliar jangle, in the gap of Coimbatoor. 



Irides fine lake colour ; bill and legs slaty. Length 7 to 7^ inches ; 

 wing 3_«_ths ; tail2|-; exterior front toe above -j^ths ; versatile do. 

 ^5_t^s ; bill to front ^\ to -JLths ; at gape 1 to 1-yhs. 



208. — D. Elliot ii. — New species. ? — Golden-headed Woodpecker. 



I extract from Mr. Elliot's notes the description of this woodpecker, 

 never having met with it myself. I put it as a Dendrocopus with 

 doubt. If new, it may be named in honour of Mr. Elliot, its discoverer. 



Descr. — " above black ; crest and wing coverts, bright golden ; 

 cheeks, black spot from the eye to the occiput, and another commen- 

 cing from, the nape, and spreading between the shoulders, white. 

 Chin and lower cheeks white, with five black lines running down the 

 throat, breast and belly also white, covered with longitudinal black 

 spots ; quills blackish brown with three transverse rows of round white 

 spots; bill and feet black. Irides crimson. Lives in pairs in cocoa-nut 

 trees, often three or four pairs on the same tree. Only seen in one 

 locality." 



209. — J). Moluccensis. — Picm Moluccensis, Lath.— P. variegatus, 

 Lath, and Wagler. — P. bicolor, Gmel. — P. PygmceuSf Vigors. Proo. 

 Zool. Soc. 1830, — Small-spotted Woodpecker, 



