. History of British birds : the figures engraved on wood . lays before theCuckoo. Its food confifts chiefly of ants and otherinfefts, of which it finds great abundance lodged inthe bark and crevices of trees. The ftomach ofone which we opened was full of indigefted partsof ants. It is faid to frequent the places where anthills are, into which it darts its tongue and drawsout its prey. Though nearly related to the familyof the Woodpeckers, in the formation of its billand feet, it never aflbciates with them, but feemsto form a fmall and feparate family. The Wry-neck holds itfelf very ere6l on t
. History of British birds : the figures engraved on wood . lays before theCuckoo. Its food confifts chiefly of ants and otherinfefts, of which it finds great abundance lodged inthe bark and crevices of trees. The ftomach ofone which we opened was full of indigefted partsof ants. It is faid to frequent the places where anthills are, into which it darts its tongue and drawsout its prey. Though nearly related to the familyof the Woodpeckers, in the formation of its billand feet, it never aflbciates with them, but feemsto form a fmall and feparate family. The Wry-neck holds itfelf very ere6l on the branch of thetree where it fits; its body is almoft bent back-ward, whilft it writhes its head and neck by a flowand almoft involuntary motion, not unlike the wa-ving wreaths of a reptile. It is a very folitary bird,and leads a fequeftered life ; it is never feen withany other fociety but that of its female, and it isonly tranfitory, for as foon as the domeftic union isdiflblved, which is in the month of September, theyretire and migrate by «»,..«»»---^ 114 BRITISH BIRDS. THE WOODPECKERS, ^ Of thefe only three or four kinds are found inthefe kingdoms. Their characters are ftriking andtheir manners fmgular. The bill is large, llrong,and fitted for its employment; the end of it isformed like a wedge, with which it pierces thebark of trees and bores into the wood, in which itsfood is lodged. Its neck is Ihort and thick, andfurnilhed with powerful mufcles, which enable itto ftrike with fuch force as to be heard at a confi-derable diftance ; its tongue is long and taper; atthe end of it there is a hard bony fubftance, whichpenetrates into the crevices of trees, and extractsthe infe6;s and their eggs, which are lodged there;the tail eonfifts of ten lliff, Iharp-pointed feathersbent inwards, by which it fecures itfelf on thetrunks of trees while in fearch of food.; for thispurpofe its feet are fhort and thick, and its toes,which are placed two forward and two
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