176 THE WORLD'S BIRDS. 



Economic Qualities. — They are, on the whole, most 

 useful, destroying insects injurious to timber. 



Captivity. — They live well if reared from the nest, 

 but are very quarrelsome with each other ; they 

 become very tame and make good pets. They have 

 not been bred, in England at all events. 



Distribution and Important Species. — This family, 

 numbering nearly three hundred and fifty species, 

 is found all over the world except in the Aus- 

 tralian region, almost always in wooded country, 

 though a few frequent the ground or rocks ; they 

 are, on the whole, resident, few being migratory. 

 The family includes three sections, the typical 

 Woodpeckers [Picince), with the typical structure 

 and habits of the family, and found throughout 

 its range ; the Piculets [PimimnincB), tiny birds 

 with rather the habits of tits, and numbering 

 only a few species, found in West Africa, South-East 

 Asia, and South America ; and Wrynecks {lyngince), 

 with very finely-pencilled plumage and normal tails, 

 including our well-known migratory species and a 

 few others, confined to the Old World outside 

 Australia. Our commonest Woodpecker in Eng- 

 land is the Green {Gecinus viridis,) about the size 

 of a pigeon, olive-green, with red crown ^nd yellow 

 patch above tail ; in India the Golden-backed 

 {Brachypternus aurantms), with the crown red 

 and upper surface dull golden, is the best known ; 

 and in North America the Golden-winged or Flicker 

 {Colaptes auratics), a dove-brown bird, with spotted 

 breast, barred back, and red crescent on the 

 back of head, and with the quill-shafts bright 

 golden yellow. 



