INSESSORES. 113 



between the trees and alight upon an oak at some 

 distance. It was extremely shy, and he was scarcely 

 ever able to approach within a hundred yards of it. 

 On the following morning he again visited the spot, 

 on the chance of getting a shot at the hird, and 

 again saw it ; but it was too war}^ to allow of a suffi- 

 ciently near approach. On the third day he was 

 unavoidably prevented from visiting the wood, but 

 on the morning of the fourth day he saw the bird 

 again for the third and last time. 



My informant is still living, and able to vouch for 

 the truth of the above statement. 



Wryneck, Yunx torquilla, A regular summer 

 visitant, generally appearing about the second week 

 of April, a few days before the Cuckoo. It is a most 

 beautiful and interesting bird to observe, and in its 

 food and habits somewhat reminds us of the Wood- 

 peckers. Like them, it breeds in holes of trees, and 

 lives upon similar food, which consists chieli}^ of 

 ants and their larvae. The note of the Wryneck 

 more nearly resembles that of the Kestrel than any 

 other bird with which I am acquainted, and, if the 

 sound could be expressed in words, it would, per- 

 haps, be most correct^ rendered, " Oh, dear, dear, 

 dear, dear, dear, dear." 



The nest is not an easy one to find, situated as it 

 is in a hole of a tree, sometimes at a considerable 

 height from the ground. The eggs are pure white. 



L 3 



