( de) 
useful and indispensable appendage, as a fulcrum, when proceeding 
up a tree, among the many uses tails can be put to according to the 
various habits and characteristics of birds in general. The predo- 
minating colours of these birds must be looked for in the forest. You 
have, here, all the colours and tints of the woods from the bright 
emerald green of the leaves more or less in most of the species, to 
burnt umber colour and ashy grey, not infrequently met with of the 
trunks of trees or black and white of the bark wood. The male 
Woodpecker usually bright red on the head and a black cheek stripe. 
How frequently have we heard or read about this apparent defect in 
nature, which makes these birds, an admirable mark for (unsporting) 
sportsmen. ‘This may be all well enough when judging from speci- 
mens crowded together in a glass case; but how often have we 
mistaken this silent, fiery crest, which becomes motionless at our 
approach, for a bright flowering parasite. Turning once more to 
the Kingfisher, which had intruded, unceremoniously, into our 
remarks, it has a short tongue, how different to the long flexible 
tongue of the Woodpecker, which is still further aided in its reach, 
by the riband-like muscles wound round the trachea, and the sliding 
shuttle, os hyoides, thus it has every facility of thrusting its tongue 
into deep fissures and holes of trees, the tip is brush-like, composed 
of pointed barbs, which the Woodpecker inserts into small open- 
ings its beak has forced an entrance into, and draws out the impri- 
soned insects it has surprised. This operation is further simplified 
by a little glutton adhering to the tip of its tongue. The Dill is 
longish, straight, conic and wedge-shaped, sides or edges angular, the 
tip truncated in most of the species, wings are broad and strong 
4th and 5th quills usually the longest. Tail wedge-shaped, shafts 
strong and elastic. This big family—the Woodpeckers, have many 
groups divided into sub-iamilies, differing much in size, colour, form 
of bill etc. Nearly all of them have representatives in our hill forests 
at various elevations, but in habits and peculiarities they differ but 
little. Woodpeckers make their way up a tree with great facility 
pressing their tails against the bark. They are unable to come 
down head first as do the nuthatches, but fly obliquely to a lower 
part of the tree and recommence their hunt over ground not already 
gone over. 
GENUS PICUS 
Birds of black plumage, above, spotted or striped white, streaked 
below most of these birds are rare and dithcult to find in the dis- 
trict. The following species have been more frequently observed :— 
(160) Pious Manratrensis, Vellow-fronted Woodpecker, seldom 
ascend much beyond 4,000 feet elevation. It appears to prefer tall 
