374 



CLIMBING BIRDS — SCANSORES. 



against trees, and the size of many of the species. All make their nests in 

 holes of trees, usually excavated Ly themselves with considerable efl'ort; 

 they lay four or five white eggs, with crystalline shell. Their food consists 

 in great jiart of insects, though fruit, berries, and even the bark of trees 

 are occasioually devoured. 



Genus PICUS, Linx.eus. 



Picus, LiNN.tus, Syst. Nat. 1748. 



Gen^. Ch.\r. Bill equal to the head, or a little longer ; the lateral ridges conspicuous, 

 starting about the raitWle of the base of the bill ; the basal, elongated, o-ial nostrils 

 nearer the commissure ; the ridges of the culmen and gonys acute, and very nearly 

 straight, or slightly convex towards the tip ; the bill but littU- broader than high at the 

 base, becoming compressed considerably before the luiddlu. The outer posterior toe 



longest; the outer anterior about intermediate between it and the inner anterior, the inner 

 posterior reaching to the base of the claw of the inner anterior. Tarsus about equal 

 to the inner anterior toe ; .shorter than the two other long toes. Wings rather long, reach- 

 ing the middle of the tail, rather roumU'il ; the fourth and fifth quills longest, the quills 

 rather broad and roimded. 



The species are numerous, and found in nearly all parts of the world. 

 Probably none of the genus, as now restricted, are to be found on the AVest 

 Coast, except those here mentioned. 



