OF NEAV ENGLAND. 311 



§ 25. The PicidSD (or looodpeckers) form a remarkably 

 distinct group, cliaracterized by having two toes in front, and 

 two (or only one) behind ; ten primaries, of which the first is 

 spurious, and a stiff tail of twelve feathers, of which the outer- 

 most are also spurious. 



In Colaptes (standing at one end of the group, and next to 

 the Cuckoos), the bill is three or four times as long as high, 

 rather slender, pointed, and with the commissure, as well as 

 the upper outline, convex ; the nostrils are exposed. In Picus 

 (a genus near the otlier end, containing typical woodpeckers), 

 the bill is stouter, the outlines nearly straight, the end blunted 

 or truncate, and the nostrils concealed. In other genera, the 

 bills are more or less intermediate. In this famil}^ as in some 

 others, it has not been thought advisable to present certain di- 

 visions in classification, which have been recently established 

 in scientific works. (See figs. 18 and 19, and pi. 1, fig. 25.) 



In Cohiptes^ the birds are largely terrestrial, feed much upon 

 ants, and frequently perch on branches crosswise. 



In Sphyrapicus, the birds possess a peculiar tongue, and do 

 mischief by stripping otf bark, and feeding on the lining. 



In Picoides, the birds are three-toed, and boreal. 



In Hylotomus, the birds are crested and wholl}'' (?) non- 

 migratory. The woodpeckers are all more or less brightly 

 colored, at least the males, and the sexes are differently col- 

 ored. They are principally noted for hopping about the trunks 

 and larger limbs of trees, supported by their tails, and rapidly 

 hammering with their bills to extract the grubs, etc., upon 

 which they feed, as well as on berries, or even sometimes grain. 

 They are often social, but never strictly gregarious, so far as I 

 have observed, partl}^, perhaps, because permanent residents 

 in their summer-homes or only partially migratory. They fre- 

 quent forests, woods, and orchards, where they build their 

 nests by excavating a very neat hole in sound or decayed wood. 

 In this, which contains no lining, from four to six very smooth 

 white eggs are laid. The notes of the woodpeckers are un- 

 musical, being variously screams, or rather shrill notes, pitched 

 on a high key. 



