IYNX. 79 



Coloration. Above brownish grey, finely speckled and mottled : 

 a dark brown patch, unevenly coloured, from nape to middle of 

 back, another across the coverts of each wing, a few longitudinal 

 dark streaks on the lower back and rump, and some imperfect 

 ocelli on the wing-coverts ; quills brown, with numerous rufous 

 spots on both webs ; tail with narrow wavy black cross-bands ; 



Fig. 21. Head of /. torquilla. 



sides of head, throat, and fore neck pale rufous with dark cross- 

 lines, a dark patch on the ear-coverts ; breast and abdomen white, 

 with arrow-head-shaped dark marks. 



Bill brown, iris hazel ; legs and feet greenish brown (Oates}. 



Length 7*5 ; tail 2*8 ; wing 3-4 ; tarsus '8 ; bill from gape *85. 



Distribution. A winter vistor to the plains of India and Burma, 

 extending south to Madras (Jerdon) and Belgaum (Butler), and in 

 Burma to Pegu (Oates) and Karennee (Wardlaiu Bamsay, Fea). 

 Not recorded from the Malabar coast, Ceylon, nor Tenasserim. 

 Found in summer in Kashmir and Gilgit. Outside of India the 

 Wryneck is found in summer throughout the greater part of 

 Europe, Central and Northern Asia, and in winter in parts of 

 Africa. 



Habits, $c. The Wryneck is generally seen on low trees or 

 bushes or in high grass. It feeds on various insects, chiefly ants, 

 which it sometimes captures on the ground. It has a peculiar 

 plaintive call. It but rarely climbs trees like a Woodpecker, 

 pressing its tail against the bark, though it has been seen to do so. 

 The name is derived from a habit it has of twisting its head round. 

 It has not been known to breed in the plains of India, but Brooks 

 and Stoliczka have found it nesting in Kashmir. The eggs are 

 laid in Europe about May in a hole not always made by the bird, 

 often in a lime-tree. The hole is not lined. The eggs are white, 

 7 to 12 in number, and measure about '81 by '64. 



Yunx indica, Gould (Jerdon, B. I. i, p. 304), is now known to 

 have been founded on a specimen of an African species, I.pectoralis. 

 The supposed Afghan or Tibetan locality must have been a 

 mistake. 



