328 Te ‘AVES. 
“alway s has a metallic lustre. They are solitary birds, that live in 
wet forests, feed on insects, and build on low branches. 
The American species have a longer and perfectly eae 
beak.(1) a ‘. 
There are some species in the Archipelago of India, wile 
shorter, stouter and slightly arcuated beak approximates them 
to the Bee- eaters. Their anterior toes are more separate. 
They constitute the Jacamerors of Vaillant,(2) who even gives 
a figure of one that has no ridge above.(3) 
Finally, there are others—the Jacamar-Alcyon, which have 
only.three toes. They inhabit Brazil.(4) : 
i 
A Picus, Lin.(5) 
The Woodpeckers are well characterized by their long, straight, 
angular beak, the end of which is compressed into a wedge, and 
fitted for splitting the bark of trees; by their slender tongue, armed 
near the tip with Spice that curve backwards, which by the action 
of the elastic horns of the hyoid bone, can be thrust far out of the 
beak, and by their tail, composed of. ten quills(6) with ‘stiff and 
elastic stems, which acts/as a prop in supporting them while they 
are climbing.. They are Climbers par excellence: they wand over 
trees in every direction, striking the bark with their beaks, and in- 
sinuating their long tongue into its cra s and crevices to obtain” 
the larvz of insects, on which they feed.» This tongue, besides its 
armour, is constantly covered with a viscid ‘fluid, secreted by fra 4 
Salivary glands: it is drawn back into the beak by,two muscles,” 
which are wound round the trachea like ribands; in this state of re- 
traction, the horns of the hyoid ascend under the skin and 1 Eng ie] 
head, as far as the superior base of the beak, and the’sheath of the 
tongue is doubled into folds in the bottom of the thagatngg yer 
aT 
ny 
(1) Alcedo paradisexa (Galbula ae Lath. ), Enl. O71; ;—Alcedo galbisla, LM 
(Galb. viridis, Lath.) Enl. 238;—Galb. ruficauda, Nob. Vail. Ois. de Par. &e.. te 
pl. 1; or G. macroura, Vieill. Gal. 29;+Galb. albirostris, Lath. Vaill. pl. li; vie 
Ois. Dor. I, pl. iv;—Galb. albiventris, Vaill. xlvi. 
(2) Aledo grandis, Gm.; Galbula grandis, Lath. Vaill. pl. liv. 
(3) The Grand Jacamar, Vaill. I, cit. pl. liii. Se 
Jacamaciri is the Brazilian name of these birds, according to Maregrave. Gal. " 
bula, among the Latins, appears to have indicated the Oriole, it was Mehring who " 
transferred it to the Jacamars. 
(4) Vaill, Jac. Sup. f. 1, and Spix, 57, 2, by the name of Aleyon sridnetylad® 
(5) Picus, the Latin name for these birds, giyen to them, it is said, by aking of 
Latium. 
(6) Strictly speaking, there are twelve; but the lateral ones, which are very | “ 
small, are not counted. 
