A LAUGHING FAMILY 



307 



" At first I thought he was a Black-and-white Creeper, 



for he was all black and white. Then I saw he was 



much bigger, and the beak was square at the end, as if 



it was cut off instead of being sharp-pointed. He had 



the strangest feet, two toes behind and two in front, 



and when he came down near where I stood, I saw a 



bright-red spot on the head. When 



I went a step nearer, he didn't like 



it, and then laughed out loud at me 



— ' Quip ! Cher, cher, cher, cher ! 



Ha! ha! ha! ha!' I thought 



he might be some kind of a 



Woodpecker, but those in 



uncle's room are a great deal 



bigger." 



" A very good description 



of the Downy Woodpecker,*' 



said the Doctor, coming up 



under the porch where they were 

 sitting. " This bird belongs not 

 only to a different family from 

 any you have heard about, but 

 to a different order also. 



" You have seen that Perching 

 Birds all have three toes in front, 

 and one behind on the same level, so 

 that they may easily grasp a perch 

 and keep their balance. But Wood- 

 peckers do not percli in the true sense — they rest either 

 against a tree-trunk or on a limb, and even sleep in 

 these positions. They almost all have four toes, two in 

 front and two behind, and the strong pair of liind toes 



Downy 

 Woodpecker. 



