124 GARDEN AND AVIARY BIRDS. 



very stiff, hard feathers, and is pressed against the bark 

 to act as a prop when the bird is climbing. For Wood- 

 peckers do not usually hop about the twigs like most 

 perching birds, but climb up the trunks and along the 

 branches ; they never climb downwards, but if they 

 want to descend let themselves down backwards ; the y 

 are very quick and clever at moving along sideways 

 and even upside down. Their wings are only moderately 

 long, and they have a very characteristic flight, dip- 

 ping and rising by alternately fluttering and closing their 

 wings, although they are usually fair-sized birds; but 

 ordinarily they only go from tree to tree. They do 

 not come to the ground much as a rule, and when there 

 move by awkward hops. 



The eggs of Woodpeckers are always white and are 

 laid in holes pecked out in trees by the old birds, without 

 any lining. The young are hatched naked and have a 

 curious warty pad on the hock- joint, upon which they 

 shuffle about, not standing up on their toes till they 

 are fledged. Unlike most young birds, they often show 

 their sex as soon as they are fledged, resembling the 

 old birds in the comparatively small differences which 

 distinguish the sexes of these. Woodpeckers are often 

 gaily- coloured birds, but they do not sing, and generally 

 have very harsh notes. They are very striking and 

 ornamental, however, and particularly useful birds, as 

 they feed almost .entirely on insects, which they dig 

 out of decaying wood or extract from under bark with 

 their strong bills and long barbed tongues. Thus they 

 .keep in check a class of insects which are left alone 



