. The history of birds : their varieties and oddities, comprising graphic descriptions of nearly all known species of birds, with fishes and insects, the world over, and illustrating their varied habits, modes of life, and distinguishing peculiarities by means of delightful anecdotes and spirited engravings . ron,i^, and angular; and at the end, in mosiof the spi^cies. is fi)rined like a wedge, f^r the purpose of piercing thetrjes The nostrils are covered with bristles. The tt^ngue is verylong slender, cyliiidrical, bony, hard, and jagged at the end. Thetoes are placed two forward, and two bac
. The history of birds : their varieties and oddities, comprising graphic descriptions of nearly all known species of birds, with fishes and insects, the world over, and illustrating their varied habits, modes of life, and distinguishing peculiarities by means of delightful anecdotes and spirited engravings . ron,i^, and angular; and at the end, in mosiof the spi^cies. is fi)rined like a wedge, f^r the purpose of piercing thetrjes The nostrils are covered with bristles. The tt^ngue is verylong slender, cyliiidrical, bony, hard, and jagged at the end. Thetoes are placed two forward, and two backward; and the tail consistsof t^n hard, stiff, and sharp-pointed feathers. Jhe Woodpeckers are a very singular race of birds, that livealmost entirely on insects, which they pick out of decayed trees, andfrom the bark of such as are sound. These they transfix and drawfr^m the crevices by means of their tongae, which is bony at theend, barbed, and furnished with a curious apparatus of muscles, forthe purpose of throwing it forward with great force. Their bill iaalso so strong and powerful, that by means of it they are able to per-fi^rate even such trees as are perfectly sound. In the holes whichthev thu-! make, they construct their nests. Their voice is acute, andvery unpleasant. THE BLACK This bird weighs about eleven ounces. Its plumage is black • except the crown of the head, which is of a richcrimson. Tlie head of the female is only markedwith red behind. It inhabits Switzerland, Germany, and severalof the northern regions ; and is migratory. It isalso quite common in this country. The Black Woodpecker subsists on insects,which it catcher on the bark of trees, or betweenthe bark and ihe wood. It darts out its longtongue, sometimes three or four inches beyond itsbill, transfixes the insects with the end, and thenwith a very quick motion retracts it and swallowsthem The feathers of the tail are very stiff: and so firmly set intothe rump, that, when the bird has
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectzoology
