BIRDS IN GENERAL 421 



WRYNECK 



These birds appear on the grass-plots and walks ; they 

 walk a little as well as hop, and thrust their bills into the 

 turf, in quest, I conclude, of ants, which are their food. 

 While they hold their bills in the grass, they draw out 

 their prey with their tongues, which are so long as to be 

 coiled round their heads. 



GROSBEAK 



Mr. B. shot a cock grosbeak which he had observed to 

 haunt his garden for more than a fortnight. I began to 

 accuse this bird of making sad havoc among the buds of 

 the cherries, gooseberries, and wall-fruit of the neighbouring 

 orchards. Upon opening its crop or craw, no buds were 

 to be seen ; but a mass of kernels of the stones of fruits. 

 Mr. B. observed that this bird frequented the spot where 

 plum-trees grow ; and that he had seen it with somewhat 

 hard in its mouth, which it broke with difficulty ; these 

 were the stones of damsons. The latin ornithologists call 

 this bird coccothraustes^ i.e. berry-breaker, because with its 

 large horny beak it cracks and breaks the shells of stone 

 fruits for the sake of the seed or kernel. Birds of this 

 sort are rarely seen in England, and only in winter. 



