Wryneck. INSESSORES. YUNX. 381 



to the straight bill and long extensile tongue of the latter. 

 They are unable, from the want of the stiff deflected tail, to 

 scale the trunks of trees like the Woodpecker genus, but the 

 form of their feet gives them the power of supporting them- 

 selves against the tree, while busied in detaching the insects 

 from the bark with their tongue. They are often seen upon 

 the ground in the neighbourhood of ant-hills, the inhabitants 

 of which form their favourite food. 



WRYNECK. 



YuNX TORQuiLLA, Linn. 

 PLATE XXXVIII. Fig. 4. 



Yunx torquilla, Linn. Svst. I. p. 172 — Lath. Ind. Ornith. v. 1. p. 233. — 

 Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 423.— /?aij Syn. p. 44. A. 8 — Will- p. 95. t. 22 Briss. 



4. p. 4. 1. 1, f: 1. 



Le Torcol. Bvff. Ois. v. 7- p. 84. t. 3 — Id. PL Enl. G98. 



Torcol ordinaire, Temm Man. d'Ornith. v. 1. p. 4(13. 



Die Wendehals, Bcchst. Naturg. Dent. v. 2. p. 1048 — Meyer, Tasschenb. 

 Deut. V. 1. p. 127 Jd. Vog. Deut. v. 1. t. Heft. 9. 



Wryneck, Br. Zool. 1. No. 83 — Arct. Zool. 2, 2(i7. B — Will. (Ang.) 



p. 138. t. 22 Leirin's Br. Birds, 2. t. 43— La//;. Syn. 2. p. 248. t. 24 



Id. Snp. p. UY^.—Mont. Ornith. Diet.— /r/. Supp — >F«/c. Nyn. 1. t. 44 



Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. G — Don, Br. Bii'ds, 4. t. 83 — Bewick's Br. Birds, 

 V. 1. t. 11 1— .S'Aaw's Zool. V. 9. p. 143. 



PuoviNCiAL — Long-tongue, Emmet Hunter. 



The Wryneck is a very regular periodical visitant, and Periodical 

 usually arrives in England a few days before the appearance "^^^i''^"^* 

 of the Cuckoo. In the southern, eastern, and midland coun- 

 ties, it is very equally, but not numerously, diff^'used in the 

 wooded parts of the country. According to IMontagu, it is 

 rare on the western side of England. In the northern 

 counties, I have traced it as far as Morpeth in Northumber- 

 land, where a few are seen every year. Its arrival is soon 

 made known by its peculiar and oft- repeated note, which 

 rather resembles that of the Kestrel, and other small species 

 of Hawks. — The chief food of the Wryneck consists of ants Food. . 



