PICUS LEUCONOTUS,

White-backed Woodpecker.

Bechst.

Picus leuconotos, Bechst. Orn. Taschenb., p. 66.
leuconotus, Bechst. N ature,
Dendrodromas leuconotus, Kaup,

 

Deutschl., tom. ii. p- 1034,

Natiirl. Syst., p. 149.
Picus cirris, Pall. Zoog. Rosso-Asiat., tom. i. p- 410.

Pipripicus uralensis, “ Malh.,”’ Bonap. Consp. Vol. Zyg., p. 8.
leuconotus, Bonap. ib., Das:
Picus uralensis, Malh. Mon. Rick, tom: i

P- 92, tab. 23. figs. 4, 5, 6.
—— polonicus, Brehm, Vogelf., p. 69.

I am indebted to Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., for the loan of a bird, on the label attached to w
“Great Spotted Woodpecker, Halligarth, Shetland: Dr. It is doubtless one of the specimens
killed from among the great flight of Woodpeckers which visited and dispersed themselves on two recent

occasions over the Hebrides (see the ‘Zoologist’ for 1862, p. 7932; the s
1869, p. 1761, and the extract from it in my

referable to the last-mentioned Species

hich is inscribed
9

Saxby.’

ame periodical, second series,
account of Pieus major). That Mr. Gurney’s bird cannot be

I feel quite certain; and it therefore becomes necessary for me to
say what it is, and thereby reply to the question in Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser’
embodied in the following passage :—

“The most extraordinary specimen of a Pied Woodpecker that we have yet seen is one lent us by

Mr. J. H. Gurney, jun., from Shetland, where it was obtained during the large migrations which have twice
visited those islands. We must state that we are at present unable to ide

s account of Pieus major

characteristics of which are the grey on the nape and wing-coverts, and the stripes on the breast—
characters which seem to separate it from the Picus major. It is too large for P. medius, and cannot be
P. leuconotus, which, so far as we are able to discover, has the lower back white at all ages. In appending
a full description of Mr. Gurney’s specimen, we beg leave to ask the assistance of all our ornithological
friends in identifying the species to which it belongs.”

The opinion I have myself formed, after a careful comparison, is that, contrary to Messrs. Sharpe and
Dresser’s statement, it really is a young specimen of P. /euconotus. I have not the least doubt: that most
(if not all) other ornithologists will agree with me, and that in all probability the greater number of the
individuals that visited the bleak and almost treeless islands above mentioned were of the same species,
I have therefore no hesitation in figuring the bird as one of our accidental visitors, as by so doing further
information on the subject may be elicited from those who have been so Se as iw procure other
examples, which, if made known, will enable us to come to a definite conclusion. It is tine that the
white rump, so conspicuous a character in the adult P. /euconotus, is absent from Mr. Gurney’s specimen ;

but if the long black feathers of the back be lifted, a large amount of white will be found beneath. The

1 i Or 5 ac sadily discriminated by the
P. leuconotus is a larger bird than P. major; and the male of each may be readily diser é y

difference which exists in the extent and colouring of the red on the om former ce the ae
and upper part of the nape of a scarlet -hue, while the ype only of the latter is a : ae
differences are also to be seen in the young of both species, that of IP, deuconnes being oe e oe
somewhat obscure lengthened striz: on the flanks, which are well seen in Mr. Gurney’s specimen, but which

ist in that of P. major. a ate
e oe home of es leuconotus is Sweden, Norway, Finland, and ae i wee
appears to be quite unknown in Denmark, the Low Comminkes, ie greater part . ae abi a :
According to Meyer it is not uncommon in Livonia, where it visits gardens and places in ee ou 1001
of houses ; it has been taken in the neighbourhood of Moscow, is tolerably common in Poland, rare in

Eastern Germany, has been captured in Bohemia and in Southern Austria, and it is said to breed in the
aster! » he

Hautes-Pyrénées. J ae
i 1 ‘no account of the habits of the bird, as observed in Poland by Dr. Taczanowski,
Me ca ] to Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser, from whose work I take the liberty
1 e -o Messrs. She Q s j

was communicated by that gent eman

extracting it :— : — : . é wine
oF ek backed Woodpecker is found everywhere in the kingdom of Poland, but is not common—indeed,
eekne nite-bDack

to} ch, oak, and Im

ntify this specimen, the chief