of the Peninsula of India, 



21* 



This little woodpecker is found in the more open spaces of all the 

 larger jungles, whether on the east coast as in Goorasoor, or in the 

 Malabar coast, where it is far from being uncommon, and is even oc- 

 casionally found in avenues and gardens. In Goomsoor I found it fre- 

 quenting the bamboos, and its tapping on the hard branches of these 

 trees caused aloud sound, heard to a great distance. It does not con- 

 fine itself to the larger branches, hopping and climbing actively about 

 the smaller twigs, and feeding on various small insects and larvse. 



Irides yellow, naked orbitar skin, pink colour. Length 5 inches j wing 

 a; tail 1|- ; bill to front 5 nearly -^^ihs, 



I possess a specimen shot in the Wynaad, which differs from all other 

 specimens of this bird, which I have seen (as well as from the colour of 

 I the bird well represented in Hardwicke's Illustrations) in the much dark- 



colour of the head and back, which are almost black instead of a light 

 Siooty brown. It has also less white beneath, its bill appears to be 

 Spmewhat larger, and its feet perhaps rather less, but it is so similar 

 in other respects that I do not venture to separate it. 



Genus MALACOLOPHUS, Swains. 



Sub Genus BRACHYLOPHUS, Swains, 



210. — B, Squamatus. — P. Squamatus, Vigors.—- Gould's Cent. Him, 

 s Birds? — P. dimidiatus, of Gray and Hardwicke's III, I. Z ? not of 

 Temminck and Wagler. — Scaly-bellied Woodpecker, 



Although there are some slight discrepancies between my specimens 

 and the description and figure in Gould's Century of the P, Squamatus^ 

 I I have little doubt but that they are identical. I have found the scaly' 

 lillied Woodpecker only on the western coast in well wooded districts, 

 I from the close neighbourhood and level of the sea, to the summit of the 

 I Keilgherries, where it is tolerably abundant, both in the thick woods, 

 and among the brushwood. It in general does not ascend high on trees, 

 ; peeping to the lower branches, and I have on several occasions seen it 

 alight on the ground. In the most perfect specimens I possess, the 

 tjiroat and breast are nearly entirely green, the indications of the 

 i^aly markings being faint and undecided, the belly and vent are green- 

 iih white, with the scalings of the feathers much more numerous and 

 j spialler than are represented in the plate of Gould's Century, and the 

 I spots on the tail are almost obsolete and of a greenish dusky tinge. 

 I ^fa^re is also a black nuchal mark. Irides pink, surrounded by a whits 



