WRYNECK. 9 



the ground he hops about with his knees very much bent, 

 and with long leaps, generally keeping among long grass or 

 weeds in pursuit of his food. 



At times the bird now before us moves its head and neck 

 about in a very curious manner, first extending the head to 

 a great length, and then moving it slowly from side to side, 

 or turning it entirely round, and raising the feathers of the 

 head and neck, and fanning with its tail, all the while bowing 

 its body slowly and gracefully, and at the same time making 

 a gurgling or croaking noise like a frog ; and it is very 

 remarkable that it is only the birds of mature age that 

 perform this amusing feat, as the young birds have never 

 been observed to do so. The Wryneck is rarely seen long 

 together on the wing, owing to its habit of travelling only 

 short distances from tree to tree, or from bush to bush. Its 

 call note, cue, cue, cue, cue, is frequently heard in the spring, 

 as well as the sounds good, good, good, much resembling 

 the call of the hobby ; but when the Wrynecks have pro- 

 duced a young brood this call ceases, and they only converse 

 in short sentences, which may be exemplified by an abrupt 

 expression of the word shick, more or less frequently 

 repeated according to circumstances, but in such a low and 

 hoarse tone, that it is lost amongst the harmony of the 

 numerous summer warblers whose songs are then so prevalent. 



When the Wryneck calls his mate in the spring of 

 the year, he is observed to be perched either on some 

 exposed dead branch, or some projecting leafless shoot of a 

 tree ; and as soon as he has obtained a partner he only con- 

 tinues his call in the morning, and shortly afterwards by 

 degrees discontinues it altogether. The place chosen for 

 the reproduction of the species is invariably a hole in a tree, 

 and owing to the number of such holes made by stronger 

 billed birds, there is no difficulty in finding a nest wherever 

 there are trees, and more especially as the Wryneck is by no 



