LYNGIPICUS CANICAPILLUS.

Grey-headed Pygmy Woodpecker.

Picus canicapillus, Blyth, J. A. S. Beng. xiv. p. 197 (1845); xv. p. 14 (1846); xvi. p. 467 (1847); xvill. p. 805
(1849).—Id. Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. p. 64 (1849).—Gray, Gen. B. iii. App. p. 21 (1849).—Reichb. Handb.
Scansorie, Picin. p. 373 (1854).—Malh. Monogr. Picid. i. p. 141 (1861).—Sundev. Consp. Av. Picin. p. 29
(1866).—Gray, List Picid. Brit. Mus. p. 43 (1868).—Id. Hand-list of Birds, ii. p. 184, no. 8581 (1870).

Yungipicus trisulensis, Bp. (nee Licht), Consp. Volucr. Zygod. p. 8 (1854).

Yungipicus canicapillus, Horsf. and Moore, Cat. B. E. 1. Co. Mus. ii. pp. 677, 992 (1856).—Jerd. B. Ind.i. p. 279
(1862).—Blyth, Ibis, 1870, p. 163.—Hume, Str. F. 1874, p. 471.—Blyth and Wald. B. Burm. p. 78
(1875).—Hume, Str. F. 1875, pp. 14, 59.—Armstrong, Str. F. 1876, p. 309.—Hume, op. cit. 1878,
p- 125.—Id. tom. cit. App. p. 500.—Hume, op. cit. 1879, p. 87.—Bingham, op. cit. 1880, p. 161.

Beopipo canicapilla, Cab. and Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. iv. p. 58 (1863).

Picus, sp., Beavan, Ibis, 1869, p. 413.

Tyngipicus canicapillus, Hargitt, Ibis, 1882, p. 39.

 

Tue grey head of the present bird when fully adult is such a striking character that the species is easily
recognizable ; but when the plumage gets worn there is often an approach to J. auritus and J. nanus; so that
when a large series is compared these species seem to run into one another so thoroughly that they cannot
be considered more than races of one form.

The chief habitat of the Grey-headed Pygmy Woodpecker seems to be the Burmese countries ; and I cannot
do better than quote the remarks given by Mr. Hargitt in his paper on the genus Jyngzpecus (ibis, 1882,
p- 40) :—*‘* According to Mr. Oates it is universally distributed between Thayetmyo and Tonghoo, in British
Burma; but still it is not very common; it creeps about the smaller branches of trees. Mr. J. Armstrong
records it from the Rangoon district of the Irrawaddy delta; and Mr. Inglis has obtained specimens from
North-eastern Cachar. Messrs. Hume and Davison state that it is generally distributed throughout the
Tenasserim province at an elevation not exceeding 5000 feet; and it extends quite to the south of the
Malayan peninsula, Mr. Davison having shot it in Johore andseen it in Singapore. In Mr. Hume’s review of
the genus Lyngipicus Gtr, BY 1875; p: 60), he states that this species occurs throughout Eastern Bengal,
Assam, Pegu, Tenasserim, the Malay peninsula, and North-west Sumatra. Amongst those which I have
examined, I have never yet seen it from the latter island; but it is very probable that it does occur there.
In this species there is a great tendency to variety in the spotting of the tail-feathers, in Tenasserim the
birds frequently having the four central feathers uniform or with only one spot of white. Captain Feilden
has already noted two races of this species ; and these have been referred to by Mr. Hume (Str. F. 1875,
p. 59)—one a small race inhabiting the dense jungle around Thayetmyo, and a larger bird (true camcapillus)
found on the borders of cultivation. The smaller race (which is clearly distinct) I have named Lyngipicus
pumilus.”

The figures in the Plate, which represent a male and female of the size of life, have been drawn from

specimens kindly lent to me by Mr. Hargitt.
[R. B. S.J

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