PICID^. 



147 



FAMILY III.-PICID^. 



Rostrum basi plumosum aut vibrissis ornatum, magis minusve 

 crassum aut subgracile, rectum vel arcuatum, marginlbus inter" 

 dum dentatis : lingua gracilis : pedes zygodactyli, aut tridaC' 

 tyli, 



BeaTc plumose or furnished with bristles at its base, more or less 

 stout, or somewhat slender, straight or bent, the margins some- 

 times dentated : tongue slender : toes disposed in pairs, or three 

 only. 



These birds are climbers par excellence, and sport 

 about in all positions on the trunks and among the 

 branches of trees, in search of insects or their larvae, 

 upon which they feed ; some of them are said to 

 devour also small birds and fruits : the typical genera 

 however appear confined to the former food, and 

 their tongue is armed with recurved spines at the tip, 

 and supplied with a viscid fluid. None of the family- 

 inhabit New Holland ; their place appears to be sup- 

 plied by the numerous race of Meliphagidae and Cer- 

 thiadae. 



GENUS CCXXII.— POGONIAS, Illiger. BARBICAN. 



nostrum basi vibrissis elon- 

 gatis ornatum, magnum, 

 crassum ; mandibula su- 

 pei'ior bidentata, persaepe 

 longitudinaliter canalicu- 

 lata et inferior transverse 

 sulcata. 



Nares basales, laterales, basi 

 vibrissis rigidis tectae. 



Beak furnished at the base 

 with elongate bristles, 

 large, thick: the upper 

 mandible bidentate, and 

 often longitudinally chan- 

 nelled, with the lower 

 transversely sulcated. 



Nostrilshdi^ol^ lateral, clothed 

 with rigid bristles at the 

 base. 



