Order III. SCANSORES. 
Family III. Picidte. 
The fourth Subfamily, 
GECININfE, or Green Woodpeckers, 
have the Bill more or less long, strong, and straight, with the base broad, and the s.des impressed 
towards the tip, which is truncated and acute; the side sloping, and turmshed with a lateral ridge, 
which springs from above the nostrils, and runs along near the cuhnen towards the end of the upper 
mandible for two thirds of its length. 
Gecinus Boie. 
* 
Bill more or less long, strong, with the base broad, the sides compressed, and the oilmen i ng y 
curved towards the tip, which is acute ; the lateral ridge runs along near the oilmen towards the tip ; 
the lateral margins st, might, and the gonys long and ascending; the nostrils basal, and covered by the 
projecting plumes. Wings long and rounded, with the fourth quill the longest « mo era e an 
graduated, with the tip of each quiU pointed and rigid. Tars.' short, and covered with broad scabs in 
front. Ita, unequal, the outer pair the longest, and nearly equal in length ; the claws large, strong, 
curved, and compressed. 
All the species of this genus are found in most parts of the Old World. They reside 1 singly « in pai„ m the 
wooded districts, forests, or jungles; and are usually observed scahng t e tiun ts an „ performed in a 
assistance of their tail, either in an upright or spiral direction, and i iey i ° in thl decayed portions 
backward progress. The strength of Iheir bills enable, them to lear off the hark, orfo.m '£’£££ break the 
of the branches far the ^ “ Ze l a scarcity of their usual food. Their lengthened tongue 
shells of nuts foi the kernel, on wmc y . . a( q, + esDeoiallv ants, which some species more 
is covered with a gtotaj™ “ a "Tposited on the bare wood, in hole, which are formed in decayed tree, 
usually seek for on the ground. ; - 1 . this operation the strokes of the bill are given so 
r«‘ to l;e,Ind the n'eise this oeeasion. may be bemd to a great distance. 
„„ r 6. G. squamatus (Vigors), Proc. Z. S. 1830. p. 8., Gould, Cent. 
1. G. viridis (Linn.) Boic, PI. enl. 879- of B. pi. 48. Pious dimidiates Gray, Ind. Zool. pi. 29- 1. 1., 
2. G. Kardini Brandt, Bull. Petersb. x. p. -• t._j & Selbv, Id- Orn. pi. 108. 
3. G. canus (Gmel.) Boie, Edwards’s Birds, pi. 65 .-Picus chi * d ' (Gould)> Proc. Z. S. 1833. p. 120. - Picus 
Pall.; P. viridi-canus Meyer ; P. norvegicus La., ■ (Dryotomus) flavigula Hodgs. Journ. A. S. Beng. 1837. p- 106. 
Naum. ; P. caniceps Nils. 8 _ G n i pa lensis (Gray), Ind. Zool. pi. SI. f. 1. — Pious mentalis 
4. G. awokera (Temm.) PI. col. 585. . r I j erd . p. chlorolophus Vieill. ? 
5. G. occipitalis (Vigors), Proo. Z. S. 1830. P . 8., Gould, Cent. Jerd. , 
of B. pi. 47. — Pious barbatus Gray, Ind. Zool. pi. 31. f. 2. I 
• Established i„ b, M. B.i, (»., P- *«•)• I. * *- .M- - ** S ""“" 
