200 SCANSORES. PICID.E. 



loves. It readily learns to pronounce words with 

 considerable distinctness. 



FAMILY III. PICID.E. 



( Woodpeckers.) 



Some of the distinctive peculiarities of this 

 strongly marked Family have been incidentally 

 presented to the reader, in tracing the affinities of 

 the Parrots, but we will now detail them more at 

 length. The Woodpeckers are the most typical 

 birds of their Order, for their whole organization is 

 rendered subservient to the particular faculty of 

 climbing, and hence they are eminently Scansores. 



The feet are very short, but of unusual strength; 

 the rigid toes diverge from a centre, two pointing 

 forward and two backward; and the claws are 

 large, much curved, and very hard and sharp. 

 The bones which form the base of the tail are 

 large, and bend downward in a peculiar manner, 

 so that the tail feathers do not, as in other birds, 

 follow the line of the body, but are thrown in 

 beneath it, their points pressing against the sur- 

 face on which the feet are resting : and as the 

 shafts of the tail-feathers are remarkably stout, 

 rigid, and elastic, and are produced into stiff points, 

 the barbs also being stiff and convex beneath, a 

 powerful support is gained in the rapid perpen- 

 dicular ascent of the bird up the trunks of trees, 

 by the pressure of this powerful organ against 

 the bark. Another peculiarity observable in the 

 structure of the Woodpeckers, and one admirably 

 adapted to their habits, is the small size of the 

 keel of the breast-bone. " Moderate powers of 



