CLASS AYES: ORDER PSITTACI. 



131 



a protection from the rain, it generally makes the opening 

 under a large branch. Its undulating flight, often by a sin- 

 gle sweep from tree to tree, as if the bird had been swung 

 with closed wings in a curved line, is the perfection of 

 graceful movement. 



The Golden-winged Woodpecker is the most extensively 

 distributed through North America, and the most beautifully 

 colored of its family. The male cannot be distinguished 

 from the female, except by the black patches on its cheeks, 

 looking like side- whiskers. 



Fig. 

 Fig. mo. 



Colaptes auratus, 

 Golden-winged Woodpecker. 



Picoides hirsutus, 

 Banded Three-toed Woodpecker. 



The Tliree-toed Woodpecker ', of which there are three spe- 

 cies, is rarely found south of the Canadas or Northern Maine. 



ORDER PSITTACI. 



General Characteristics. The Parrots have a thick 

 bill, the upper mandible strongly hooked at the end, with a 

 naked space at the base; tongue fleshy and round; and 

 neither toe versatile. In captivity they may be taught to 

 imitate the human voice, but not as well as other species of 

 birds.* The only family (Psittacidce) embraces about three 



* Its language is often so pat as to show that the bird really understands its use. 

 Goldsmith tells a story of a parrot belonging to Henry VIII, which fell into the 



