274 
THE WRYNECK. 
and flew into his room. Its habits were curious, and so 
familiar, that they were quite attractive ; it climbed up the 
wall by any stick or cord near it, devouring flies. It some- 
times began at his foot, and at one race would run up his 
leg or arm, or round his neck, and down his other arm, and 
so to the table. It would there tap with its bill with a noise 
as loud as a hammer, and this was its general habit, on the 
wood- work in every part of the room ; when it did so, it 
would look intently at the place, and dart at any fly or insect 
it saw running — in all probability adopting this noisy mode 
of disturbing such insects as might be concealed within, that 
it might seize them the moment they appeared. 4 ^ 
The Wryneck is a small bird about the size of a Thrush, 
which comes and goes nearly at the same time as the Cuckoo, 
The Wryneck. 
whence it is in some places called the Cuckoo’s Mate. Its 
habits and formation in many respects resemble those of the 
Waush’s Constantinople, page 310. 
