TI1K WRVXECK. 



130 THE WRYNECK. 



These Woodpeckers, like the other species, build their nests iu 

 holes, which they form in the trees; and it is said that the noise they 

 make with their bills in this operation, may be heard more than a 

 mile. Their flesh is by many people accounted good eating. 



THE WRYNECK. 



The bill of the Wryneck is roundish, slightly curved, and weak. 

 The nostrils are bare of feathers, and somewhat 

 concave. The tongue is long, slender, an 1 

 armed at the point. There are are ten flexi- 

 ble feathers in the tail ; and the feet are 

 formed for climbing, the toes being placed 

 two backward and two forward. This bird 

 is about the size of a lark, and its plumage 

 consists of different shades of brown, ele- 

 gantly blended together. The tail-feathers 

 are of a pale ash-color, marked with black 

 and red, and having four equi-distarit bars of black. 



This bird (for there is only one ascertained species of its tribe) 

 is well known in most parts of England. In the form of its tongue 

 and toes it resembles the Woodpeckers, but the sleuderness of the 

 bill prevents its being arranged amongst them. 



The female builds an artless nest in the hole of a tree, and deposits 

 in it eight or ten perfectly white eggs. Dr. Derham informs us, that 

 although these birds are far from being any way terrible, yet when in 

 danger, they have such singular contortions of -their neck, and such 

 odd motions with their head, that, when he was a boy, he used to be 

 so much alarmed at them, that he was deterred from either taking 

 their nests or touching the birds, daring no more to venture his hands 

 into their holes, than if a Serpent had lodged in them. The young 

 ones, while in the nest, will also hiss like Snakes; which may afford 

 an additional preventive against the nest being plundered. 



Their food consists principally of Ants and other insects, of which 

 they find great abundance lodged in the bark and crevices of trees. 

 They also frequent grass-plots and Ant-hills ; into which they dart 

 their tongues, and from which they draw out their prey. Mr. White, 

 in his Naturalist's Calendar, tells us that these are so long as to coil 

 round their heads. 



The manners of this species were minutely examined by taking 

 a female from her nest, and confining her in a cage for some days. A 

 quantity of mould, with Ants and their grubs, was given to* her ; and 

 it was curious to observe the tongue darted forward and retracted, with 

 such velocity, and such unerring aim, that it never returned without 

 either an Ant or a grub adhering to its viscous extremity, and not 

 transfixed by it as is generally supposed. While feeding, the body 

 was altogether motionless ; the head only being turned ; and the motion 

 of the toague so rapid, that the grubs, which were of a light color, and 

 were more conspicuous than the tongue, had somewhat the appearance 



