WOODPKCKEH. INSESSORES. PICUS. 371 



GENUS PICUS, LINN. WOODPECKER. 



GENERIC CHARACTERS. 



BILL as long as, or longer than, the head, straight, conical, 

 compressed, culminated, angular, and wedge-shaped at the 

 point. Tongue long and extensile, worm-shaped. Nostrils 

 basal, oval and open, concealed by the reflected, bristly fea- 

 thers at the base of the bill. AVings with the first quill very 

 short, the second of mean length, the third and fourth the 

 longest. Tail composed of twelve, sometimes ten, elastic, 

 stiff', and sharp-pointed feathers. Feet robust, formed for 

 climbing ; two toes before, and two behind ; the two anterior 

 ones joined at their base, the posterior ones divided (or with 

 three only, two before and one behind) ; armed with very 

 strong and hooked claws. The birds of this genus inhabit 

 the forests, and live solitary. Are true climbers, and move 

 along the trunks and branches of trees readily, but always 

 in an upward direction. They feed on the various insects 

 and larvae that find a nidus in the bark and decayed wood, 

 and which they obtain by means of their strong angular bill, 

 and long extensile tongue, armed at the point with sharp- 

 reflected bristles. They build in holes of trees, occasionally 

 of their own formation. The males are distinguished by an 

 occipital band, generally of a red colour, or by moustaches. 

 Their moult is simple, and the young differ from the adults 

 only during the interval that elapses from quitting the nest 

 to the first (or autumnal) moult. Their stomach is mem- 

 branaceous, and they are without the caecum. 



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