274 THE WRYNECK. 



and flew into his room. Its habits were curious, and so 

 familiar, that they were quite attractive ; it climbed up the 

 wall by any stick or cord near it, devouring flies. It some- 

 times began at his foot, and at one race would run up his 

 leg or arm, or round his neck, and down his other arm, and 

 so to the table. It would there tap with its bill with a noise 

 as loud as a hammer, and this was its general habit, on the 

 wood- work in every part of the room ; when it did so, it 

 would look intently at the place, and dart at any fly or insect 

 It saw running in all probability adopting this noisy mode 

 of disturbing such insects as might be concealed within, that 

 it might seize them the moment they appeared.* 



The Wryneck is a small bird about the size of a Thrush, 

 which comes and goes nearly at the same time as the Cuckoo, 



whence it is in some places called the Cuckoo's Mate. Its 

 habits and formation in many respects resemble those of the 



* WALSH'S Constantinople, page 310. 



