124 piciD^ 



the flexor longus hallucis first sending a tendon to the other plantar 

 then a second to the fourth digit, then to the other two, first and 

 second (fig. 2 d, p. 2) ; spinal feather tract well defined on the neck 

 but forked on the lower back ; ambiens and accessory femoro-caudal 

 muscles absent. 



In addition to the families of which there are South African 

 representatives, the Toucans (Bliamphastidae), Jacamars (Galbu- 

 lidae), and Puff-birds [Bucconidae), all confined to the neotropical 

 region, belong to this suborder. 



Family I. PICID^. 



Bill generally strong and often modified into a cutting weapon ; 

 nostrils basal; above them, in most genera, runs a ridge parallel 

 to the culmen joining or nearly joining the commissure ; tongue 

 excessively long, wormlike, and capable of great protrusion ; it is 

 supplied with viscid mucous from the large salivary glands so that 

 insects adhere to it ; the point of the tongue is horny and barbed ; 

 the hyoid cornua of enormous length, sliding round the skull and 

 passing into a sheath from the sides of the gullet round the occiput 

 to the base of the upper mandible ; feet zygodactyle, i.e., second and 

 third digits turned forwards, the first and foui'th backwards ; four 

 toes in all South African species but the hallux absent in some exotic 

 genera ; tail-feathers 12, outer pair short and usually concealed by 

 the coverts ; eggs white, laid in holes in trees excavated by the 

 birds themselves. 



Palate schizognathous ; vomer slender, pointed and split ; oil- 

 gland tufted ; no caeca. 



The Woodpeckers are spread all over the temperate and tropical 

 regions of the world except Madagascar, Australia and Polynesia. 

 They all (with one exception) lay white eggs in holes bored in trees, 

 making no nest other than the chips of wood. 



Key of the Genera. 



A. Tail-feathers with the shafts stiffened and spiny. 

 a. Outer anterior toe longer than the outer 

 posterior toe. 

 a' . Difference between the primaries and second- 

 aries about equal to half the cuhiien ; 

 habits terrestrial ; shafts of tail-feathers 

 brown Geocolaptes, p. 126. 



