with olive, the shafts yellowish,brown, whity brown on the primaries,
all the feathers notched with yellowish white on the outer
web, and largely indented with white on the inner one; tail dark
brown, the shafts golden-yellow, paler below, all the tail feathers
externally notched with pale brown, and with whitish on the inner
web, these half-bars being about six or seven in number; crown of
head crimson, more clear on the nape, the frontal and vertical
plumes showing the greyish bases to the feathers; sides of face
yellowish white, including the lores, the ear-coverts minutely spotted
with black, a mark of which appears on the upper edge of the ear-
coverts behind the eyes; a very small malar stripe of crimson, much
mottled with black; under surface of body pale sulphur yellow, the
throat whitish, with only a few black specks, which on the chest and
fore-neck are very broad, somewhat irregular in shape and on many
feathers appearing like two spots joined together, these streaks
becoming narrower on the breast, and again slightly dilating into
spade-shaped spots on the flanks; the abdomen yellow in the centre,
the sides of it minutely spotted with black, these spots becoming
larger on the under tail-coverts; some of the flank feathers with a
few indistinct greyish black bars; under wing-coverts yellowish
with a very few black spots, more frequent near the edge of the
wing, the lower series whitish with narrow dark brown transverse
bars, the lower surface of the quills dark brown, largely notched
with pale yellow on the inner webs; “ iris light reddish brown; bill
dark brown, the under mandible with a yellowish tinge; tarsi and
feet very dull green” {Ayres). Total length, 7'5 inches; culmen,
1-0; wing, 4*2; tail, 2‘95; tarsus, 0'8.
Adult female.—In general similar to the male, but differing in
the coloration of the head, which is black, very minutely spotted
with white, the nape with a large crimson crest; no red malar stripe,
this being replaced by a black one spotted with white.
Fig. Malherbe, Monogr. Picide, pi. 94.
165. C ampethera sm it h i i . Smith’s Woodpecker.
Ifagrus brucei, Gurney, in Anderss. 13. Dam. Ld. p. 221.
Dendrobates striatus, Layard, Ibis, 1871, p. 227. „
The plumages of the present species are very little understood,
and it will be necessary to procure a very large series of carefully
collected specimens before we can hope to understand the sequence
of changes through which this bird passes. After careful consideration,
however, we have come to the conclusion that the bird
first described by Malherbe as 0. smithii is the same as the Woodpecker
subsequently described by him as 0. brucei, and more
recently still by the author of the present work as Dendrobates
striatus. The latter title must in any case be suppressed, for reexamination
of the subject shows us that the Matabili bird must be
the true 0. brucei of Malherbe. Whether the Damara species is
identical with the one from the Matabili country is at present rather
difficult to say; inasmuch as all the specimens collected by the late
Mr. Andersson show considerable difference when compared with
other examples from South Eastern Africa. None of the latter, as
yet examined by us, have shown the black cheeks and throat which
appear to characterize the adult plumage of the Damara bird. The
chief distinguishing mark of G. brucei is perhaps its regularly banded
mantle, which is numerously and distinctly barred across with
yellow, or yellowish white: this however is, perhaps after all, a
doubtful character, for it would seem as if there was a regular
transition in a large series from spotted to barred specimens.
G. brucei was originally described by Malherbe from the Bechuana
country, and Professor Sundevall records two specimens which he
doubtfully separates from the above-named bird as -C. smithii, as
obtained by the late Professor Wahlberg on the Limpopo river on
the 29th October and 11th November, 1843. Dr. Exton shot three
specimens at Kanye in the Matabili country. Mr. Andersson says
that it is not unfrequent in Damara Land, and he also shot it in
Ondonga: one specimen, which we believe to be referable to this
species, was obtained by Mr. Monieiro in Angola. Senor Anchieta
has obtained it in Mossamedes at Capangombe, Biballa, and Gambos.
Adult male.—Above dusky greenish, everywhere barred across
with greenish yellow or dull white, all the feathers having a terminal
bar of the same, and lighter median spots of a diamond shape in the
centre of the bars: this spotted appearance is very distinct on the
mantle, but is not seen on the lower back and rump, nor on the
upper tail-coverts, where the cross bars are very regular; wings
** olive brown, the coverts minutely spotted with yellowish white, the
greater series having a narrow yellowish shaft-line with indications
of a few whitish bars on the inner web; primary coverts brown,