144 
PICUS AURATUS. 
rather hopping perpendicularly along the sides 
cage ; and, as evening drew on, lixed himself in jjj 
hanging, or perpendicular position, and slept 
head in his wing. As soon as dawn anpeared, « 
before it was light enough to perceive nim distn'^^jj',. 
across the room, he descended to the bottom o’ 
cage, and began his attack on the cars of Indian j,, 
rapping so loud, as to be heard from every 
the house. After this he would sometimes 
his former position, and take another nap. 
beginning to become very amusing, and even 
when, after a lapse of several weeks, be (|f 
drooping, and died, as 1 conceived, from the efte'O’ 
his w'ound. 
Some European naturalists, (and, among the t ^ 
Linnaius himselt^ in his tenth edition of <5!!/* ||,s 
NaturcB,') have classed this bird with the genus 
or cuckoo, informing their readers, that it 
many of the habits of the cuckoo ; that it is ” Jljct 
always on the ground ; is never seen to climb '‘.^1 
like the other woodpeckers, and that its bill is alto)?®’ 
unlike theirs ; every one of which assertions, I ® ^ 
say, is incorrect, and could have only proceeded ' 
an entire nnacquaiutance with the manners of 
bird. E.vcept in the article of the bill, and that, jt 
been before observed, is still a little wedge-forni‘’‘‘[,i' 
the point, it differs in no one characteristic 
rest of its genus. Its nostrils are covered with ' ji 
of recumbent hairs, or small feathers ; its tong'”j^,j. 
round, worm-shaped, tlattened towards the tip, 
and furnished with minute barbs ; it is also .,)i 
missile, and can be instautaneously protruded t” 
uncommon distance. The os hydides, or internal P 0 
of the tongue, like those of its tribe, is a substauc* 
strength and elasticity, resembling wlialebone, .jujt 
into two branches, each the thickness of a ki” pyc 
needle, that pass, one oti each side of the neck, t** 0 
hind head, where they unite, and run up alo”? ,if 
skull in a groove, covered with a thin membrao > 
3 
