272 WRYNECK. 



The Wryneck has been known to visit the Faroes. In Scandi- 

 navia and Finland it has been found up to about 64° N. lat., and in 

 Russia it visits Archangel ; but across Siberia to Kamchatka its 

 range does not extend so far north. In summer it inhabits the 

 Japanese islands, as well as suitable localities on the mainland of 

 Asia down to the Himalayas and the Altai Mountains ; while in the 

 cold season it visits India and Burma. In Africa its winter-quarters 

 extend to Kordofan on the east and Senegambia on the west, but 

 it appears probable that a limited number go no further than Algeria. 

 Some may even remain in the south of Europe, where, however, the 

 bird is chiefly known on passage ; in summer it is generally distri- 

 buted over the rest of the Continent. 



About the middle of May the Wryneck makes use of any con- 

 venient hole in a tree, at no great height, or occasionally in an earth- 

 cutting or sandbank. The eggs are usually from 7-10 in number, 

 but the bird has been induced to go on laying until, as recorded by 

 Mr. Frank Norgate, the maximum of 4 2 was reached ; they are pure 

 white, rather larger, less glossy, and thinner in shell than those of 

 the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker : measurements "8 by "6 in. When 

 disturbed, the sitting bird makes a loud hissing, calculated to induce 

 the belief that a snake is concealed in the hole — a practice which 

 has led to the popular name of " Snake-bird " ; it also erects the 

 feathers of the head and twists its neck in a way which is equally 

 characteristic of the above name ; while, when taken in the hand, it 

 will often feign death. Its loud note, which somewhat resembles 

 that of a Kestrel, and may be syllabled as qui, qui, qui, or /«>', pay, 

 pay, is heard from the time of the bird's arrival until midsummer. 

 The food consists almost entirely of insects, many of which are 

 obtained on the trunks and branches of trees : chiefly of ants 

 and their pupae, sought on the ground, the bird shooting with 

 marvellous velocity its long, retractile, vermiform tongue (covered 

 with a glutinous secretion) into ant-hills. In autumn the Wryneck 

 is said to eat elder-berries. In its habits it is skulking and unob- 

 trusive ; its flight is short and undulating. 



The general colour of the upper parts is variegated grey and rufous- 

 brown, streaked on the nape, back and scapulars, with brownish- 

 black ; quills dark brown, with buff bars on the outer webs ; tail- 

 feathers soft at the tips, greyish-brown with darker bars ; throat 

 warm buff, with narrow black bars ; breast and flanks dull white, 

 with small spots and bars. Length 7 in. ; wing 3-4 in. The female 

 is rather smaller and duller in plumage than the male ; the young 

 are more strongly marked with blackish-brown on the under parts. 



