118 LECTURE V. 



Among the numerous genera of the Order 

 Piece one of the principal is the genus Wood- 

 pecker or Picus. It is distinguished by having 

 climbing feet, as in the Parrots, and a strait, 

 strong, pointed bill j while the tongue is wonder- 

 fully calculated by Nature for the mode of life 

 to which the animal is destined^ being of equal 

 length, when extended, with the body of the 

 bird ; but by an admirable apparatus of muscles 

 and tendons, it is either withdrawn into the bill, 

 or thrust out at pleasure, and is tipped with a 

 sharp horny point, serving to seize and transfix 

 the softer kind of insects upon which the birds 

 of this genus feed ; as well as to probe or search 

 for them in the cavities of the bark and bodies 

 of trees. The residence of the whole genus Pi- 

 ciiSf which is very numerous, is in the hollows 

 of trees, in which they breed. The most fami- 

 liar example of the genus is the common Green 

 English Woodpecker or P. mridis Lin. frequent 

 in this country, and of a green colour, with the 

 top of the head sprinkled with bright scarlet spots. 



The Picus major is an elegant British spe- 

 cies also, and notwithstanding its name, is of 



