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T’he Grey-Headed Green Woodpecker. 
T his Bird is about the Bignefs of the Green Woodpecker we have in England^ 
which is fomething lefs than a Magpye. 
The Bill is ftraightand fharp pointed, fhaped as in Woodpeckers^ of a dark Afli- 
colour, the lower Mandible towards its Bafis and round the Angle of the Mouth being 
of a light Orange-colour 5 the Noftrils are cover’d with ftiff black Bridles, which point 
forward over them, and this Black reaches back from the Bill to the Eyes on each Side j 
from the Bafis of the lower Mandible on each Side proceed two black Lines drawn 
downward on the Sides of the Throat; the Throat between thefe Lines is whitifli » 
the Head, Neck, Bread, Belly and Thighs are of a blueifh Grey or Afh-colour, more 
pure in the Head and upper Side of the Neck, but from the Throat downward the whole 
under Side is a little mixed with Green: The upper Part of the Back is of a fine blue 
Green-colour, which on the Rump becomes, almod Yellow ; the covert Feathers of the 
Wings, and the Quills next the Body, are of a yellowiih Green ; the inner Webs of the 
innermod Quills a little barred a-crofs with a dulky Colour; the greater Quills, with Part 
of the 'Coverts incumbent on them, are of a dark Brown-colour, fpotted with light 
Yellow, which fall in Rows on their Edges: The Tail Feathers feem to have double 
Points, becaufe their Webs on each Side extend beyond their worn and broken Shafts .; 
they are of a dark Brown-colour with tranfverfe dufky Lines, their Edges being greenidi, 
the middle Feathers longed, and gradually fhortening toward the Sides; the covert 
Feathers of the Tail, both above and beneath, are of a dirty Green ; the Legs, Feet and ■ 
Claws are Black ; the longed Toe is equal to the Length of the Leg, and the Toes in 
each Foot difpofed two forward and two backward, as is common to this GenuSo , 
This Bird was procured by EaylerWhite^ Efq; It came from Norway^ and differs from 
our Green Woodpecker^ in that it wants the fine Scarlet Colour on the Top of the Head, 
and in the Marks that proceed from the Corners of the Mouth on each Side, (in lieu 
of which it hath only four or five almod imperceptible Dots of Red on the Forehead 
near the Bafis of the Bill) and in being Afh-colour’d on the Neck, and under Side, 
where that is of a pale yellow Green. In other Refpe<ds they nearly agree. Perhap 
this Bird’s being of a Northern Country may caufe the Difference in Colour, more than 
any real fpecifical Difference between it and ours in England, for Northern Climates do 
not produce Birds of fuch fine Colours as Climates nearer the Equinoctial; fince it is ob- 
ferved that Bears, Foxes, Hares, and various Birds, are Grey, and fometimes White, in 
very Northern Parts, which are otherwife coloured farther from the Poles: So that I 
take the Greynefs of this Bird’s Head and under Side to be owing only to its Northern 
Habitation. 
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