THE WRYNECK 



THE WRYNECK 



Externally the only feature which thin singularly beautiful bird 

 possesses in common with the woodpeckers is the structure of the 

 foot ; but that the wryneck is a woodpecker, in the general sense 

 of the term, there can be no question. This fact is proclaimed not 

 only in the structure of the tongue, but also in other no less important, 

 though less obvious, anatomical characters. 



In the peculiar coloration of its plumage it more nearly resembles 

 the nightjar, and differs conspicuously from the woodpeckers, from 

 which it furthermore departs in the nature of its tail-feathers, which 

 are large and broad, not pointed, and almost spine-like. This last 

 peculiarity we must attribute to the fact that the wryneck is not a 

 woodpecker like its relatives, which need these spiny tail feathers 

 as supports when engaged in exposing some luscious grub buried 

 deep in wood, or when fashioning a nursery. 



Though indubitably an arboreal bird, the wryneck obtains much 

 of its food on the ground, feeding largely, like the green-woodpecker, 

 on ants and their pupae obtained from ant-hills. When seeking 

 prey of this kind, the earth is removed from a portion of the nest, 

 and the long sticky tongue is forced this way and that into the long 

 galleries, to return at each thrust black with victims. In picking up 

 pupa? from the surface, the action of the tongue may sometimes be 

 seen, but it is moved with incredible speed, the white morsels appear- 

 ing against the dark earth as white streaks as they are hurtled back- 

 wards into the hungry bird's mouth. Indeed, as one observer has 

 remarked, they seem rather to nish into the mouth as if drawn by a 

 magnet, the tongue being too rapidly moved to be apparent Naturally, 

 much soil is swallowed at such feasts, and the gizzard always contains 

 a considerable proportion of fine earth in consequence. But ants 

 are always to be found in considerable numbers running up and down 



