also seeks for food on the ground, in the same manner as the
Golden-winged Woodpecker of North America; its flight likewise
struck a»«-as very similar.
It excavates a hole, sometimes several feet in depth, in which to
deposit its eggs, which are pure white, and from three to five in
number: axis, 13/// ^ diam., l l " '.
Families seem to keep in company until the arrival of breeding
season separates them. They feed together, and roost together in
some deserted hole, while their loud, harsh cries, as they call to each
other, may be heard for a considerable distance.
Major Bulger procured this species near Windvogelberg, and Mr.
T. Atmore has sent us a pair from Colesberg. It seems to be pretty
common throughout the colony, and extends to Natal. Wahlberg
procured it in worn plumage near Port Natal in January, and Mr.
Ayres has shot it on the Mooi river. Mr. Buckley gives the
following note: “ Common in Natal, frequenting the open hills and
sitting among the stones. I never noticed it among trees. These
birds generally go about in parties of six or seven, probably the old
birds and their young."
General colour, brown, mottled with dirty yellow; rump crimson;
breast and belly pale crimson, in the male, who has also an
indistinct crimson moustache; in the female these parts are brown;
tail above, dark-brown, barred with yellow, the tip ridged, and
golden-orange; below brown, glossed with golden-yellow, the yellow
bars also showing; “ beak and legs black; iris orange in male, dark-
red in female ” (BuckleyJ. Length, 10ff; wing, h" 3"; tail, 3" 9'".
Fig. Malh. Monogr. Pic. ii., pi. 111.
168. D endropicus namaquus. Bearded Woodpecker.
Benbrobates namaguus, Layard, B. S. Afr. p. 236.
This Woodpecker is apparently not found within the limits of the
colony, though Le Vaillant states that he noticed it it Kaffraria. Mr.
Ayres has procured it in the Transvaal, where also Mr. Buckley met
with a pair, which were engaged in making their nest, on the 7th
of July, 1873. Dr. Bxton shot the species at Kanye, in the
Matabili country, and Dr. Kirk obtained it at the Murchison Rapids
on the river Shire in March, but he says that it is a much rarer
species in the Zambesi country than B. hartlaubi, and is, moreover,
limited to certain localities. Mr. Andersson writes as follows : “ I
have scarcely ever seen this Woodpecker in Great Namaqua Land,
but have found it (very sparingly) throughout Damara Land, and as
far north as the river Okavango, where, and at the Lake N'gami, it
is more numerous than in Damara Land, though no species of
Woodpecker can be said to be common in any of the countries of
South Western Africa." Mr. Andersson also procured it in Ondonga,
and Anchieta has forwarded this species from Huilla and the
Chimba river in Mossamedes.
Upper parts, dull-green, barred with dirty-yellow; forehead black,
each feather tipped with white; top of head crimson in the male
(black in female); back, black; cheek, chin, and throat, white, the
latter crossed by two black lines, one passing over the ear from the
corner of the eye, the other extending from the base of the lower
mandible to the shoulders; under parts greenish-grey, faintly
barred with dirty-yellow; shafts of Wing and tail feathers, yellow,
as are also the tips and underside of the latter, and the upper
coverts. “ Bill greenish-grey, legs and toes greyish-olive, iris of a
red-wine colour.” (Andersson.) Length, 8" 6'" ; wing, 5"; tail,
3" 6"'.
Fig. Malh. Monogr. Picidse. I. pi. 42.
169. D endropicus h ar t la ub i. Hartlaub’s Woodpecker.
This little Woodpecker is very closely allied to I), cardinalis,
from which it differs in the yellower tint of the under surface, and
in the very distinct red tinge which pervades the upper tail-coverts,
and which, Professor Sundevall says, is found in the young birds as
well as the old. He gives its habitat as extending from Port Natal
into the tropical districts of South Africa. Dr. Kirk says that it
was frequent in all the woods in the Zambesi and Shire valley. Mr.
Andersson procured a specimen in Damara Land, and Professor
Wahlberg also met with it at Walfish Bay on April 27th, 1854.
The species differs only from JD. cwrdinalis in the points above
mentioned, which are not sufficiently strongly marked to render a
detailed description necessary. According to Mr. Buckley, the bill
is black, the legs greenish-grey, the iris dark-red. Total length,
5.8 inches; culmen, 0.75 ; wing, 3.6; tail, 2.2 ; tarsus, 0.6.
Fig. Malherbe, Monogr. Pic. I. pi. 44.