THE ALLIES OF THE PIGEON 389 



nota'bilis), has of late years become carnivorous in its habits, 

 alighting on the backs of live sheep and digging deep into 

 the flesh for the fat surrounding the kidneys. "The pro- 

 pensity is said to have originated from the bird's pecking 

 at sheepskins hanging outside country stations." We have 

 only one member of the group in the United States, the 

 Carolina paroquet, and that has been almost exterminated. 



Woodpeckers. The group Pi'ci (Lat. picus, " woodpecker") 

 forms a well-marked assemblage of climbing birds, with 

 two toes in front and two behind (except in the three-toed 

 woodpeckers, Fig. 197). 



Woodpeckers have a strong, straight bill, with which they 

 dig into wood for insects, and a long, barbed tongue, spear- 

 pointed at the end, which enables them to draw their food 

 from beneath the bark of trees. The tail feathers are usu- 

 ally stiff and pointed, and form a support to rest on while 

 the bird is engaged in feeding. The usual coloration in the 

 group is black and white, but red often appears on the head. 

 The nests are made in holes in trees, and the eggs are white 

 in color. By far the greater number of the woodpeckers are 

 beneficial to the farmer, but the yellow-bellied woodpecker, 

 or sapsucker (Sphyrapi'cus va'rius, Fig. 205), girdles trees 

 with numerous small holes to get at the sap beneath the 

 bark. The flickers (Colap'tes) have lost some of the habits 

 of the family, and have descended to picking up part of 

 their food on the ground of fields and pastures. For much 

 of the year their food consists very largely of ants. 



Perching, or Singing, Birds. The passerine type (Lat. passer, 

 1 sparrow ") is exemplified in more than half the birds of the 

 world. The characteristics which serve to distinguish the 

 Pas'seres, or perching birds, from other groups are the pres- 

 ence of four toes without webs, placed at the same level, 

 three in front and one behind (Fig. 197, sparrow). The 

 perchers are birds of small or medium size. Among them 



