400 



British Cage Birds. 



capable of being pushed forward and drawn back again, 

 similar to tbe slides in a telescope ; at the point is a hard, 

 horny substance, about the thickness of a stout sewing needle, 

 which it uses for procuring small insects, on which it prin- 

 cipally subsists. The head is ashen grey, spotted with black, 

 white, and russet brown, a broad stripe of brownish black 

 commencing at the occiput, or back part of the head, and 

 extending a considerable way down the back, running in an 

 irregular line ; the remainder of the upper portion of the 

 body is grey, striped and spotted with black, white, and 

 reddish brown in an elegant fashion ; from the upper corner 

 of the eyes, extending backward, is a pale streak of yellowish 

 chestnut. The cheeks, throat, fore part and sides of neck, 

 the upper part of the breast, and vent, are yellow, tinged 

 with chestnut or reddish brown, and closely crossed with 

 pencilled, black, wavy lines. 



The lower parts of the breast and belly, as well as 

 the thighs, are yellowish white, mottled sparsely with 

 triangular - shaped blackish brown spots. The larger pen 

 feathers are black, marked on the outer web alternately 

 with spots of dark brown and russet brown ; the secondaries, 

 or lesser quill feathers, and wing coverts, are brown, 

 beautifully striped with grey and black, and mottled pro- 

 fusely with black and white spots, so that, when the wings 

 are closed, they appear like a piece of chequer work; 

 the tail, which is composed of ten long and two short 

 feathers, is light grey, mottled with black and brown, and 

 crossed by four broad, irregular bars of black ; the legs 

 are short and slender, but the feet appear strong, and 

 are formed for climbing, there being two toes placed before 

 and two behind, which are lead colour ; the claws are 

 much hooked, and very sharp. Wrynecks have a heavy, 

 awkward mode of flight, and do not progress with ease 

 or freedom. 



Habits and Breeding. — The Wryneck, or Writheneck, is 

 merely a summer visitant in England, and is confined chiefly 

 to the Southern counties, being tolerably plentiful in some 

 parts of Kent, Essex, Surrey, and Sussex. Occasionally it is 

 seen in the Midlands, but rarely in the North. It also inhabits 

 Italy, Greece, Turkey, Sweden, Eussia, and Lapland, and 

 has been found in North Africa, Western Asia, and other 



