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distinct species; whilst others have sus- 
pected that the Middle was only a variety 
of the Greater Spotted species. We 
have long been satisfied, from having had 
different specimens, that the Pieus Medius 
was no other than the young of the Picas 
Major. In the supplement to the Orni- 
thological Dictionary, Montagu, upon the 
authority of Lord Stanley, speaks posi- 
tively as to the fact; and in confirmation 
of the opinion we had previously formed, 
we were happy in receiving a commu- 
nication from the Rev. Mr. Whitear, 
inclosing the old male bird and threeyoung 
ones, taken from the hole of a tree, on 
the 29th of June, 1816. The old bird 
exactly answered the description of the 
Greater Spotted Woodpecker, and the 
younger birds that of the Middle Spotted 
Woodpecker. It is certainly a curious 
circumstance, that the beautiful scarlet on 
the head of the young, is next to the 
white forehead; whilst in the old bird, the 
scarlet is at the back of the head, and the 
black next to the white forehead. 
The before-mentioned birds weighed as 
