IYITGIPICUS GYMNOPHTHALMUS.
IYNGIPICUS GYMNOPHTHALMUS.
Ceylonese Pygmy Woodpecker.
Little Broum Woodpecker, Lath. Gen. Syn. Suppl. p. 109 (1787).
Picus moluccensis, var. B, Lath. Ind. Orn. i. p. 234 (1790);
Picus minor, var. I \ Lath. tom. eit. p. 230 (1790).
Picus gymnophthalmos, Blyth, J. A s. Soc. Beng. xviii. p. 804 ( 1 8 4 9 ) .- I d . Cat. B. Mus. As. Soc. p. 64 ( 1 8 4 9 ) .-
Layard, Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. xiii. p. 448 (1854p|-Reichenb. Handb. Scansorue, Picinee, p. 373
.(1854).—Gray, Hand-1. B. ii. p. 184, no. 8578 (1870);;..
Yungipicus gymnophthalmus, Kelaart, Prodr. Cat. p. 128 (1852).—Jerd. B. Ind. i. p. 279 (1 8 6 2 ).-H o ld sw .
P .Z .S . 1872, p. 427.—Legge, Str. F. 1873, p. 433.—Id. Ibis, 1874, p. 1 5—Id. Str. F. 1875,
p. 365.—Id. Birds of Ceylon, p. 186 (1879).
Yungipicus gymnophthalmus, Bp. Consp. Volucr. Zygod. p. 8 (1854). Jerd. Ibis, 1872, p. 8.
Picus gymnophthalmus, Malh. Monogr. Picid. i. p. 153 (1861).—Sundev. Consp. Av. Picin. p. 28 (1866).—Gray,
List Picid. Brit. Mus. p. 42 (1868).
Baopipo gyrmophthalma, Cab. & Heine, Mus. Hein. Th. iv. p. 59 (1863).
Jyngipicus gymnophthalmus, Hargitt, Ibis, 1882, p. 47.
The present species and I. peninsularis from Southern India are distinguished by their generally uniform
under surface. They belong to the plain-breasted section of the genus Iyngipicus as set forth by Mr. Hargitt.
The latter gentleman, to whose paper on the genus Iyngipicus we have been so much indebted for information,
has given for the present species the following distinguishing characters :—“ The under surface is, as a rule,
perfectly uniform, although in young birds there are sometimes afew indications of dusky stripes.” We believe
that this Woodpecker is peculiar to the island of Ceylon, the bird from Southern India, which has often been
confounded with it, being really a different species, with the top of the head brown instead of black. Mr.
Hargitt appears to us to have carefully discriminated the synonymy of the two species, and we have followed
him in every respect, excepting as regards the figures of Picus nanus, given by Malherbe in his monograph,
which we believe to be referable, not to I . gymnophthalmus of Ceylon, but to I . peninsularis. A good account
of the habits and distribution is given by Captain Vincent Legge in his ‘ Birds of Ceylon,’ from which the
following is extracted :—“ This Pygmy Woodpecker is tolerably plentiful in some parts of Ceylon, and has
a wide range, being diffused over nearly all the low country, except perhaps the extreme north of the Vanni
and the Jaffna peninsula, where it may also possibly occur. It is in the south-west o f the island and in the
Eastern Province where it is most abundant; in the latter part it is particularly seen about the dead trees
standing in the beds of all the newly finished tanks. Iu the Galle district it is a common bird in localities
suited to its habits; and about Colombo it is not uncommon, having been procured by myself as near that
town as the cinnaraon-gardens of Morotuwa. Layard states that he discovered it near the capital in the year
1848. About Uswewa, near Puttalam, Mr. Parker writes me it is common ; beyond this in the Northern
Province it is sparingly distributed, as far as I have been able to trace i t ; but, being difficult of discovery on
account of its small size, it may often escape observation in that jungle-clad region. It occurs in the Central
Province up to about 3000 feet. I have met with it in Pusselawa, Nilambe, Deltota, and parts of Uva, and
I have no doubt it is to be found on the Dim bulla and Dickoya side as well.
“ This little bird, winch, but for the frequent utterance of its shrill little note, would often completely escape
observation, lives generally in pairs, and frequents the uppermost branches of trees, often perching across them
for a short space o f time. I have observed it settle thus on a mere twig, and then after a moment’s pause
sidle down to an adjoining branch. It works much at the broken tops o f small dead branches, picking out
worms and grubs from the rotten wood. Iu Rugam tank I observed it breaking off comparatively large pieces
of dead surface-wood and searching beneath them for food. It is very fond of the jack-tree; and in the
south of Ceylon I have often seen it in the “ Dell ” or wild bread-fruit trees (Artocarpus nobilis), which stand
in low cheena wood, having been spared the axe for the sake of the timber. In the Northern Province I have
usually observed it in large trees near rivers and tanks, and in the Kandyan country at the edges o f coffee-
estates or patnas. Its powers of flight, afforded by its long wings, are considerable, and its note, which is a
prolonged trill, is audible at some distance, even when uttered at the tops o f the loftiest trees.”
The figures in the Plate are drawn from specimens in Captain Wardlaw Ramsay’s collection, and represent
the birds of the natural size. [K. B. S.]