72 WOODPECKERS. WRYNECKS 



(Genera,) 



f And angular; tongue very extensible, ( w 

 and armed with spines at the tip. \ W 

 Straight, <{ 



And roundfd ; tongue ver\ T extc nsibl->, ) ,, T 

 { but without spines. '[WRYNECKS. 



f Moderate, and slightly Arcuate, } CUCKOOS. 



Arcuate, ^ Large, rounded on all sides, and hooked, } PARROTS. 

 (_ Almost as long as the body, J> TOUCANS. 



17. The WOODPECKERS, Picns, are distinguished by their 

 long, straight black beak, which is adapted for piercing the bark 

 of trees ; by their slender tongue, armed near the end with spines 

 curved backwards, which can be extended considerably beyond 

 the beak; (Plate 1, fig. 3.) and by their tail, which is composed 

 of ten quills with stiff and elastic stalks, which serves them as a 

 support when they climb trees (Plate! ,jig. 9.) All these birds 

 are climbers, and have a family likeness to each other. They all 

 have the habit of tapping and raising up the bark of trees to seize 

 the insects which it conceals, and, after having struck on one side, 

 of quickly running to the opposite, to seize the insects, which the 

 noise may have caused to run away. It is erroneously believed 

 that they can in this way pierce trees entirely through. Most 

 Woodpeckers are marked with red, either on the head or body ; 

 almost all of them are streaked or speckled with brown on the 

 ground colour of their plumage Their cry is sharp, and their 

 flight heavy. They are lean, little esteemed, and inhabit all parts 

 of the world, both within and without the equatorial regions, 

 except New Holland. There are several species of Woodpeckers 

 in the United States, the most common of which, are the Flicker, 

 or Golden Winged Woodpecker, Pictts auratm, and Red- 

 Headed Woodpecker, Picns rrythrocephalus. 



Birds resembling Woodpeckers are known, which have but 

 three toes, two of which are directed forward, and one backwards. 



18. The WRYNECKS, Yunx, (Plate 4, fig. 5.) have the pro- 

 tractile tongue of the Woodpeckers, but without the spines ; their 

 straight and pointed beak is nearly round, without any well 

 marked angles, and is not sufficiently strong to penetrate and 

 raise the bark of trees; like the Woodpeckers, they live on 

 insects, but climb much less. 



17. How are Woodpeckers distinguished ? What are their habits? C T pon 

 what do they feed ? 



18. What are the characters of the Wrynecks ? 



