256 Picidce. 



Esq., the late Member for Salisbury, in the flesh, immediately 

 after it was shot ; it was preserved by Mr. Edwards, of Amesbury, 

 and came into the collection of the late Rev. G. Marsh, of Sutton 

 Benger. It is a native of America, and in general appearance 

 and size bears some resemblance to the common Green Wood- 

 pecker, but differs from it in having bright yellow bars on the 

 wings, and black spots on the breast ; moreover, the throat and 

 chest are cinnamon colour, and a broad crescentic patch of black 

 crosses the chest. 



It is known in America as the ' Flicker,' and Professor Newton 

 describes it as one of the most characteristic birds of the Eastern 

 United States and Canada, and says that a specimen of this far- 

 migrating bird is said to have been sent from Greenland. The 

 Professor, however, in accordance with a principle he had laid 

 down, refused it admission to the British list, on account of its 

 transatlantic origin ; while the compilers of the B.O.U. Catalogue 

 insert it in their list under the name of Colaptes auratus 

 colaptes signifying ' a chisel/ xoXd^T^s, from xoXacrrw, ' I peck 

 with the bill/ used almost always of birds ; and auratus t 'gilded/ 

 from the golden-yellow colour showing under the wings and tail. 



106. WRYNECK (Yunx torquUla). 



From the variety of provincial names with which this prettily 

 marked bird is designated, one would imagine it to be extremely 

 common; but this is not the case, though it visits us in the 

 spring every year, and is sparingly distributed over all wooded 

 districts. The explanation of its many names will be a tolerably 

 complete account of its habits. That by which it is more 

 usually known to us, 'Wryneck/ as also its scientific name 

 torquilla, the French Tor col, the German Wendehals and 

 Natterhals, and the Italian Torcicollo, are derived from its 

 singular habit of stretching its neck, twisting its head round so 

 that it lies on its back, and turning up the whites of its eyes, 

 when it wriggles like a serpent [in China it is called Shay- 

 ling, or ' Snake's-neck '], and also from its habit of turning the 

 head rapidly from side to side while feeding, the body remaining 



