FOREST, AND ITS FAUNA 47 



note the grouse and their allies ; the grosbeaks and their 

 relatives the crossbills ; the woodpeckers and wryneck ; 

 the nutcrackers, jays, and their allies. 



Grouse belong to the same family as the ptarmigan, 

 and are especially characteristic of northern latitudes. 

 The abundance of berry-bearing bushes, of which we 

 have already spoken, both in the tundra and in the 

 taiga, is an important factor in their distribution, for 

 these berries constitute a considerable part of their 

 food. In the Asiatic taiga we find the black grouse 

 (Lyrurus tetrix), the larger capercaillie {Tetrao urogallus), 

 and the hazel grouse {Tetrastes bonasia), while in the 

 Canadian forest is found the Canadian grouse (Cana- 

 chites canadensis), often called a partridge, and also the 

 ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus). 



The woodpeckers are birds showing remarkable 

 adaptations to an arboreal habitat. The feet are well 

 fitted for climbing, and the most highly specialized 

 forms have stiffened tails, which aid in the climbing 

 process. The beak is powerful and chisel-shaped, 

 enabling the birds to excavate holes in wood, and also 

 to lever off bark, while the long, viscid, worm-like 

 tongue enables them to capture the insects thus 

 exposed. Woodpeckers are very widely distributed, 

 a few only ranging into the northern woods. Among 

 these are the green woodpeckers (Gecinus), found in 

 the temperate regions of the Old World, and the 

 spotted woodpeckers (Dendrocopus), of both Old and 

 New Worlds. Related is the curious wryneck {lynx 

 torquilla), found in summer in Northern Europe and 

 Asia, which is without the stiff tail and climbing habits 

 of the woodpeckers. 



We have spoken of the edible seeds of the Cembra 

 pine, and of the appreciation in which they are held 



