284 BRITISH BIRDS. 



trees. The stomach of one which we opened was 

 full of undigested parts of ants. It is said to 

 frequent the places where ant-hills are, into which 

 it darts its tongue, and draw r s out its prey. It 

 holds itself very erect on the branch of the tree 

 where it sits; its body is almost bent backward, 

 whilst it writhes its head and neck by a slow and 

 almost involuntary motion, not unlike the waving 

 wreaths of a serpent. It is a very solitary bird, 

 never being seen Avith any other society but that of 

 its female, and this is only transitory, for as soon 

 as the domestic union is dissolved, which is in the 

 month of September, they retire and migrate 

 separately. 



