i ENE R OD C On
xCyl
are enumerated in the useful ‘ Hand-list of Birds’ of the late Mr. G. R. Gray, of the British Museum. As

Se ee pee : ists o« the members of so vast a body irds
might naturally be supposed, much diversity of form exists among ody of birds,
> «

each form being especially adapted to some given purpose or locality, the boles and leafy foliage of trees,

rocky parched plains and humid grassy meadows being alike resorted to by one or other of them. They are

all zygodactyle in the form of their feet, although, in some cases, only a rudiment of one of the hind toes is

found to exist. So far as my knowledge extends, they one and all deposit their beautiful shining white egos

in the boles of trees; but I think it probable that some few may occasionally place theirs in crevices of

rocks. Their principal food consists of insects and their larvae; the ground-frequenting species consume

5 . . = r .
ants and their eggs in great numbers; and fruits and berries are not rejected by others. The species
inhabiting Europe are about ten in number, four of which are represented in the present work; and I here

subjoin notices of the occurrence of two or three other accidental visitors from America.

Subfamily PICINA.
Genus Picus.
Members of this truly arboreal form are found both in the Old and in the New World. They feed almost
exclusively on insects and their larvae, but probably partake of spiders also, which they search for and extract

from the bark of trees.

204. Picus mason . : : : : ; ; : . : : : Vol. UE Pee
Great Sporrep WoovpEckER.

A resident species. Common in England, but more rarely met with in Scotland and Ireland.

205. Picus LEUcONoTUS . : ‘ : ‘ : . : : . : Vol. III. Pl. EXXI.
Wuire-BackeEp WoopPeEcKER.

An accidental visitor to the Hebrides.

206. Picus minor . : : : : ; : : : ; Vol. II. Pl. LX XII.
Lesser Sporrep Woopprcker,
A resident species in England, extremely rare, if at all to be found, in Scotland, and never occurs in

Ireland.

vend: or ee Ts i Bo ; :
e late Mr. Briggs, of Cookham, in Berkshire, who was a close observer of nature, and especially of our
native birds, infor ere ro : . : : :
rds, informed me just prior to his death that he had witnessed many éurious actions and displays

verformed by this species whi itting ¢ ana ; :
] y this species while flitting and hovering with outspread wings around the leafy branches and