Family PICID.E. 



Bill generally strong, elongate, chisel-shaped, straight, sometimes 

 curved. Tongue very long, worm-like, provided with a pointed, 

 horny, barbed tip, capable of great protrusion, the hyoid cornua 

 extending backwards over the sknll (except in Sphyropicus and 

 Xenopicus). 



The lateral halves of the vomer separate ; maxillo-palatines 

 small, not fused together. 



Manubrial process of the sternum bifurcate. 



Femoro-caudal and senaitendinosus muscles present ; ambiens and 

 accessory femoro-caudal absent. 



Tail-feathers twelve. 



Pterylosis : spinal tract without interscapular fork, and ending in 

 a bare dorsal space without being forked behind ; two distinct 

 feather-tracts on each side of the breast, coalesced on the shoulder. 



Oil-glaud tufted. 



Cseca none or quite rudimentary. 



Ranging over almost all the temperate and tropical regions, but 

 absent in Madagascar, Australia, and Polynesia. 



Key to the Subfamilies and Genera. 



A. With the tail spinv ; all the shafts stif- 



^ fened : I. PICINyE, p. 9. 



«'. Plumage of the neck ordinary, the neck 



not perceptibly compressed or narrowed 



in compavisou with the head. 



a". Nasal aperture covered with bristles, 



which more or less eHectually conceal it. 



a"'. Outer anterior toe longer than outer 



posterior toe, or equal to it. 



aK Tarsus longer than outer posterior 



toe and claw ; scarcely any nasal 



shelf; culminal ridge very smooth. 



fl'. Wing rounded, the longest 



secondaiy quill reaching to 



within half an inch of the longest 



primary ; no golden or coloured 



shafts to the quills 1. Geocolaptes, p. 9. 



b^. Wing pointed, the longest secon- 

 dary quill falling short of the 

 longest primary by about an 

 inch and a half ; with coloured 



shafts to the quills 2. Colaptes, p. 10. 



V. Tarsus less or equal to outer pos- 

 terior toe and claw, or (in tri- 

 dactyle birds) to posterior toe and 

 claw. 



