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nous, quickly utfcered call is frequently 

 heard. It does not excavate a hole for 

 itself, but makes use of a natural or 

 other cavity, especially in an orchard 

 or lime tree, depositing on the bare 

 wood or chips at the bottom its glossy 

 white eggs, which number from seven 

 to nine, or exceptionally as many as 

 twelve." 



Notes. — " The Wryneck is placed by 

 anatomists next to the woodpeckers, 

 and is like them in the form of its feet 

 and the habit of perching vertically on 

 the trunks of trees ; but he does not 

 dig into the wood with his beak, nor 

 does he support himself with his tail, 

 the feathers of which are soft as in 

 most perching birds. He is a singular 

 bird, differing from all others in 

 form, coloring, language, and habits. 

 His variously colored plumage, so 

 curiously and beautifully barred and 

 mottled, is most like that of the 

 Nightjar; but his beauty appears only 

 when he is seen very near. At a 

 distance of twenty-five or thirty yards 

 he is obscure in coloring, and is more 

 remarkable for his attitudes and 

 gestures, when seen on a tree trunk 

 deftly and rapidly picking up the small 

 ants on which he feeds. When thus 

 engaged, he twists his neck, turning 

 his head from side to side in a most 

 singular manner ; hence the name 

 Wryneck. When taken in hand he 

 twists his neck about in ^^the same 

 manner, and hisses like a snake, as he 

 also does when disturbed during 

 incubation ; and on this account he hag 

 been called the Snake-bird. When held 

 in hand, he sometimes swoons, and 

 appears to be dead until released, where- 

 upon he quickly recovers and makes 

 bis escape. Even more characteristic 



