The Hijlory ^ ANIMALS, 399 
going quite acrofs the feather, the under only reaching over the inner pinnules: the 
fourth pair have the black of the tips carried a great way farther up the feather, and 
the white part above in thefe has only one black fpot, by way of variegation ; the 
fifth pair are ufually altogether black, but they have each a white femicircular fpot 
near the bafe, and the top or extremity of each is of a brownifh-white: the two mid¬ 
dle feathers, which are larger and longer than the others, are all over perfectly black' 
the courfe of nature, in the variegations of every Angle feather of the tail, is ufually 
fo very exad, that it was not improper to give the Angle variegations here * but it is 
not fo univerfal, but that it may fometimes vary. 
The legs are fhort, robuft, and of a deep bluifh-grey or lead colour : the toes 
ftand two before and two behind, and the two anterior ones are connected to one 
another at the bafe : the liver is fmall, and the gall-bladder is alfo fmall, and hangs 
to it by a {lender neck: the fternum is remarkably long, it is extended almoft to the 
anus : the fbmach is fmall; the guts have many convolutions, and are laid deep in 
the hinder part of the body; which is the provifion of nature, that they may not be 
eternally difbrdered by the violent motions which the bird gives the head and anterior 
part of the body continually, as it ftrikes the trunks of trees with it’s beak, in taking 
it’s food. 
This fpecies is frequent with us; we meet with it in greateft abundance in the 
northern parts of England, and it is principally feen about the tall trees in hedges, and 
makes a very loud and difagreeable noife, as it flies acrofs the fields, from one to 
another. All the authors who have written on the birds of this part of the world 
have defcribed it. Gefner calls it Picus varius major; and Ray, Willughby, and 
many others who have written fince, have copied his name. Aldrovand and fome 
others call it Picus major, but that is lefs expreflive, and lefs appropriated. It’s food 
is the hexapode worms of the beetle-kind j it will feed on other infeds, but thefe are 
it’s principal and favourite fupport. 
Picus albo nigroque variegatus , reBricibus tribus 
lateralibus apice albo variegatis . fpOtt£Q 
The black and white Picus , with the three lateral 
reBrices variegated with white at the top . 
This fpecies is extreamly like the preceding in Ihape, colouring, and every other 
particular, but it is vafily fmaller; it’s weight is hardly more than an ounce: the head 
is fmall, flatted on the crown, and very beautifully variegated; the hinder part of it is 
wholly black: there is an elegant white fpot upon the crown, and the anterior part, 
toward the bafe of the beak, is brownifh : the eyes are fmall, but of a very piercing 
afped : there runs from behind each eye a white line, which is continued down the 
fides of the neck, turning inward all the way in it’s courfe, till both meet at the bot¬ 
tom : the beak is fhort, but it is very robuft; it is of a pyramidal figure, and has 
two or three longitudinal furrows on it. 
The back, and the upper feathers of thofe which cover the outfide of the wings, 
are entirely black ; the other covering feathers of the wings are black alfo, but they 
are very beautifully variegated with fpots of white : the middle part of the back is 
white, but it is elegantly variegated with tranfverfe lines of black: the breaft, belly, 
and throat, are all of a dulky white. 
The wings, when extended, meafure about eleven fingers breadth from tip to tip, 
and the tail confifts of ten feathers: the two middle ones of thefe are longeft, and 
the others all the way gradually fhorter on each fide to the extream ones: the four 
middle ones are altogether black; they are much larger than any of the others, and 
they are turned inward at the extremities, and ferve to fupport the weight of the bo¬ 
dy in a great meafure, while the bird is running up the trunks of trees. 
The 
