256 BIRDS. ZYGOJDACTYU. 



FAMILY II. 'Bill straight and angular. 

 Gen. 17. Picus, Lin. 



Bill long, or medium-sized, straight, angular, wedge-shaped at 

 the tip ; nostrils basal, open, covered by setaceous feathers ; 

 tongue round, vermiform ; legs strong; two toes before and 

 two behind, rarely one behind ; anterior toes joined at their 

 base, the posterior divided; tail of twelve feathers, the la- 

 teral very short. 



The birds of this genus live in forests, and feed chiefly on insects and their larvas. 

 Their strong hooked claws enable them, by the assistance of their tail, to climb the 

 trunks of trees in search of their food, and strike or perforate the bark with their 

 bill ; and their long tongue, armed with reflected bristles, serves them for procuring 

 it in the crevices and holes of the bark. 



P. martins, Lin. Great Black Woodpecker. Black, with the crown 

 red ; part of the tarsus covered with feathers ; bill dark ash- 

 coloured, whitish on the sides, 17 inches long. Inhabits Europe. 

 Shaw, ix. pi. 29. 



P. viridis, Lin. Green Woodpecker. Plumage above green, with a 

 scarlet crown, and rump yellow ; below yellowish gray. 12| 

 inches long. Inhabits Europe. B. Selby, Illust. pi. 38, fig. 1. 



P. canus, Gmel. Forehead crimson red, line between the eye and 

 bill blackish ; two black bands on the sides of the neck ; occiput, 

 cheeks, and neck clear ash-coloured ; back bright green, rump 

 yellowish ; wings olive green, with white spots on the exterior 

 webs of the quills, ash-coloured below; jointfof the knee fea- 

 thered. 11^ inches long. Northern Europe Tern. M<zw. % 393, 



P. major, Lin. Greater Spotted Woodpecker. Plumage varied with 

 black and white ; back of the head and vent red ; female with- 

 out red on the occiput ; bill dusky, irides reddish-brown. 9 inches 

 long. Inhabits Europe. B Selby, Illust. pi. 38, fig. 2. 



P. leuconotus, Bechst. Band of the forehead whitish yellow ; top 

 of the head and occiput bright red ; cheeks, sides, foreipart of the 

 neck, middle^of the belly, back, and rump white ; abdomen and 

 inferior coverts of the tail crimson ; two middle tail-feathers black. 

 10 inches long. Inhabits Northern Europe. Tern. Man. 396. 



P. medius, Lin. Back and wings black ; middle coverts of the wings, 

 scapulars, and spots on the webs of the wing-feathers white ; 

 abdomen and lower coverts of the tail crimson ; coronal and occi- 

 pital feathers red, slender, and elongated ; bill short, compressed 

 and pointed. 8 inches long. Inhabits Europe. Tern* Man. 398. 



P. minor, Lin. The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Forehead, region 

 of the eyes, sides of the neck, and lower parts dirty white ; up- 

 per part of the back and lesser wing-coverts glossy black ; rest of 

 the upper parts with black and white bands ; quills black, spotted 

 with white; lateral tail-feathers black, banded with white. 5J 

 inches long. , Inhabits Europe. B. Selby, Illust. pi. 38, fig. 3. 



