A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman.
- George Montagu
- Date:
- 1866
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A dictionary of British birds : reprinted from Montagu's Ornithological dictionary, and incorporating the additional species described by Selby; Yarrell, in all three editions, and in natural-history journals / compiled and edited by Edward Newman. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![charficters of which are: Bill strait, strong, angular, and cuueated at the point. Nos- trils covered witli retleeted bristles. Tongue much longer than the bill, cylindrio; the end lioru)’and Jagged, missile. Toes, two forwanl, two backward. Tail consisting of ten stiff sharp pointed feathers. [Woodpecker, Barred.— See Woodpecker, Least Spotted.] [Woodpecker, Downy. — Wilson, pi. ix. fig. iv. Piciis piibescens, Linn.; Wilson, Amer. Ornith. i. 1(J'^ of Jameson’s Edition. —“ The length of the Downy Woodpecker is six inches', and three-quarters, and its extent twelve inches; crown black; hind heal deep scarlet; stripe over the eye white; nostrils thickly covered with re- cumbent hairs or small feathers of a creanr- colour; these are thick and bushy, as if designed to preserve the forehead from injury during the violent action of dig- ging ; the back is black, and divided by a lateral stripe of white, loose, downy, un- webbed feathers; wings black, spotted with white; tail-coverts, rump, and four middle feathers of the tail black; the other ! three on each .side white crossed with touches of black; whole under parts, as well as the sides of the neck, whits; the latter marked with a streak of black, pro- ceeding from the lower mandible, exactly as in the Hair}' Woodpecker; legs and feet bluish green ; claws light blue, tipped with black; tongue formed like that of the Hairy Woodpecker, horny towards the tip, where for one-eighth of an inch it is barbed ; bill of a bluish horn - colour, grooved and wedge-formed, like most of the genus; eye dark hazel. The female wants the red on the hind head, having that part white, and the breast and belly are of a dirty white.”—Wilson, i. lG(f. The only British-killeil example of this North- ' American Wof)dpecker was shot by Mr. E. P.-Cambi-idge, at Bloxworth Rectory, Dorsetshire, in December, 18.'(6. It was stuffed by Havell, of 77, Oxford Street, and is still in the collection of the Rev. Octavius Pickard-Cambridge, who recorded the occurrence at page 0444 of the ‘ Zoolo- gist’ for 1859, giving ample details and a minute description, in which the differ- ential characters between this and allied species are given with a masterly hand.] [Woodpecker, Goldenwinged.—Wilson, pi. iii. fig. i. Picus auratus, Linn.; Wilson, Amer. Ornith. i. 141 of Jameson's Edition. —“ Back and wings above of a dark um- ber, transversely marked with equi-distant streaks of black; upper part of the head an iron-gray; cheeks and parts surround- ing the eyes a line cinnamon-colour; from the lower mandible a strip of black an inch in length passes down each side of the throat, and a lunated spot, of a vivid bloo(l-red, covers its hind head, its two points reaching within half an inch of each eye; the sides of the neck, below this, incline to a bluish gray ; thi’oat and chin a vei'y light cinnamon or fawn-colour; the breast is ornamented with a broad crescent of deep black ; the belly and vent white, tinged with yellow, and scattered with innumeiable round spots of black, every feather having a distinct central spot, those on the thighs and vent being heart-shaped and largest; the lower or inner side of the wing and tail, shafts of all the larger feathers, and indeed of almost every feather, are of a beautiful golden yellow; that on the shafts of the primaries being very distinguishable even when the wings are shut; the rump is white and remai’kably prominent ; the tail-coverts white, and curiously serrated with black; upper side of the tail, and the tip below black, edged with light loose filaments of a cream-colour, the two exte- rior feathers serrated with whitish ; shafts black towards the tips, the two middle ones nearly wholly so ; bill an inch and a half long, of a dusky horn-colour, some- what bent, ridged only on the tip, taper- ing, but not to a point, that being a little wedge-foi’rned; legs and feet light blue; iris of the eye hazel; length twelve inches; extent twenty; The female differs from the male chiefly in the greater obscurity of the fine colours, and in wanting the black moustaches on each side of the throat.”—Wilson, i. 147. A migratory North- American bird, passing northward and arriving at Hudson’s Bay in April, and leaving in September: it has unusual powers of flight for a Woodpecker. In the ‘Zoologist’ for 1859 Mr. Marsh re- cords, at p. 09:17, the oidy instance of this bird’s occurring in England : it was killed in Amesbury Park, in the autumn of 183(1. Mr. Mar.-,h adds, “ My brother, now mem- ber for Salisbury, saw this bird in the flesh before it was preserved ; it was brought to him Just after it was shot. . . . It was preserved by Mr. Edwards, of Ames- bury, and has never been out of my possession.”] Woodpecker, Great Black. — [Varrell,ii. 137 ; Uewitson. Ixi. 238.] Pious marlius, Lin. Syst. i. p. 173, 1; Gmel. Syst. i. p. 424; hid. Oni. i. ]). 224, 1. Picus niger, Bris. iv. p. 21, 0 ; Ib. 8vo, ii. p. 47. Picus rnaximus, Raii Syn. p. 42, 1; Will. p. 02, t. 21. Le Pic noir, Buf. vii. p. 41, t. 2. Great Black AVoodpecker, Aiftia, ii. t. 27; Will. Angl. p. 1:15; Arct. Zool. ii. p. 270, A.; Lewin, Br. Birds, ii. t. 4(1; Lath. Syn,](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b28089935_0413.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
