THE WRYNECK. 363 
red on the head and the young birds of the first year are remarkable for 
having the back of the head black and the top of the head red, often mixed 
with a few little black feathers. cee 
THE commonest of the British Woodpeckers is that which is generally 
known by the name of the GREEN WOODPECKER. It has, however, many 
popular titles, such as Rain-bird, Wood-spite, Hew-hole, and Wood-wall. 
This bird is our representative of the Gecinze, or Green Woodpeckers. 
Although the Green Woodpecker is a haunter of woods and forests, it will 
sometimes leave those favoured localities and visit the neighbourhood of 
man. The grounds between the Isis and Merton College, Oxford, are rather 
favourite resorts of this pretty bird. . 
The name of Rain-bird has been given to this species because it becomes 
very vociferous at the approach of 
wet weather, and is, as Mr. Yarrell 
well observes, “a living barometer 
to good observers.” Most birds, 
however, will answer the same purpose 
to those who know how and where to 
look for them. The other titles are 
equally appropriate, Wood-spite be- 
ing clearly a corruption of the German 4 
term sfecht. Hew-hole speaks for 
itself ; and Wood-wall is an ancient 
name for the bird, occurring in the 
old English poets. 
The other British species are the 
Great Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus 
Martius), the Northern Three-toed 
Woodpecker (Prcotdes tridactylus), 
and the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker 
(Picus minor). 
THE curious bird known under the popular and appropriate name of the 
WRYNECK is by some considered to be closely allied to the woodpeckers. 
The Wryneck is a summer visitant to this country, appearing just before 
the cuckoo, and therefore known in some parts of England as the cuckoo’s 
footman. There isa Welsh namie for this bird, signifying “ Cuckoo’s knave,” 
—Gwas-y-gog. 
The tongue of this bird is long, slender, and capable of being projected to 
the distance of an inch or so from the extremity of the beak, and its con- 
struction is almost exactly the same as that of the woodpecker. As might 
be supposed, it is employed for the same purpose, being used in capturing 
little insects, of which ants form its favourite diet. So, fond, indeed, is the 
Wryneck of these insects, that in some parts of England it is popularly 
known by the name of Emmet-hunter. In pursuit of ants it trips nimbly 
about the trunks and branches of trees, picking them off neatly with its 
tongue as they run their untiring course. It also frequents ant-hills, espe- 
cially when the insects are bringing out their pupa to lie in the sun, and 
swallows ants and pupz at a great pace. When the ants remain within their 
fortress, the Wryneck pecks briskly at the hillock until it breaks its way 
through the fragile walls of the nest, and as the warlike insects come rushing 
out to attack the intruder of their home and to repair damages, it makes 
an excellent meal of them in spite of their anger and their stings. 
When ants are scarce and scantily spread over the ground, the Wryneck 
runs after them in a very agile fashion; but when it comes upon a well- 
stocked spot, it stands motionless, with the exception of the head, which is 
WRYNECK.—( VYunx torguilla.) 
