FAMILY PICID^E 



remaining upper parts; sides of head, excepting 

 cheeks, gray; cheeks, throat, chest and sides of 

 breast, reddish tawny passing to buff on center 

 of breast and to buffy white on abdomen. 



This rare little bird is solitary in habits, fre- 

 quenting low trees on the edge of the jungle. 



45. Family PICID^E 

 The Woodpeckers 



A large family of arboreal birds of medium 

 size, widely distributed, but absent from Aus- 

 tralia, Madagascar and Polynesia. They 

 climb up the trunks and large limbs of trees, 

 usually supporting themselves by the aid of 

 the tail, whose quills are rigid and pointed to 

 serve for this purpose, and live chiefly on the 

 insects found under the bark and in rotten 

 wood. The bill is strong, tapering and often 

 chisel-like at the tip, with the edge vertical, 

 to serve in chipping away wood; the neck 

 muscles are very powerful, and the tongue 

 very extensible. The feet have two toes 

 directed forward and usually two (the first 

 and fourth) directed backward. The wood- 

 peckers nest in holes which they dig in dead 

 limbs of trees, laying glossy white eggs. The 

 colors are usually conspicuous and strongly 

 contrasting, commonly with some bright red 

 on the head, in the male at least; their notes 

 are loud and characteristic, but susceptible 

 of little variation. 



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