the Woodpecker, in ornithology, a genus belonging to the order of pice. The beak is straight, and consists of many sides, and like a wedge at the point; the nostrils are covered with bristly feathers; the tongue is round like a worm, very long, and sharp at the point, which is beset with bristles bent backwards. There are 21 species, principally distinguished by their colour. The following are known in Britain, viz.

1. The viridis, or green woodpecker, weighs six ounces and a half. Its length is 13 inches, the breadth 20 and a half; the bill is dusky, triangular, and near two inches long; the crown of the head is crimson, spotted with black; the eyes are surrounded with black, and the males have a rich crimson mark beneath the blackness. The back, neck, and lesser coverts of the wings, are green; the rump, of a pale yellow. The whole of the under part of the body is of a very pale-green; and the thighs and vent are marked with dusky lines. The legs and feet are of a cinereous green. The tail consists of ten stiff feathers, whose ends are generally broken, as the bird rests on them in climbing: their tips are black; the rest of each is alternately barred with dusky and deep green. These birds feed entirely on insects; and their principal action is that of climbing up and down the bodies or boughs of trees: for the first purpose they are provided with a long slender tongue, armed with a sharp bony end barbed on each side, which by the means of a curious apparatus of muscles they can exert at pleasure, darting it to a great length into the cliffs of the bark, transfixing and drawing out the insects that lurk there. They make their nests in the hollows of trees: in order therefore to force their way to those cavities, their bills are formed strong, very hard, and wedge-like at the end; Dr Derham observes, that a neat ridge runs along the top, as if an artist had designed it for strength and beauty. Yet it has not power to penetrate a found tree: their perforation of any tree is a warning to the owner to throw it down. Their legs are short, but strong; their thighs very muscular: their toes disposed, two backwards, two forward: the feathers of the tail are very stiff, sharp-pointed, and bending downwards. The three first circumstances do admirably concur to enable them to run up and down the sides of trees with great security; and the strength of the tail supports them firmly when they continue long in one place, elsewhere they find plenty of food, or while they are forming an access to the interior part of the timber. This form of the tail makes their flight very awkward, as it inclines their body down, and forces them to fly with short and frequent jerks when they would ascend, or even keep in a line. This species feeds often on the ground than any other of the genus: all of them make their nests in the hollows of trees; and lay five or six eggs, of a beautiful semi-transparent white.

2. The major, or great spotted woodpecker, weighs two ounces three quarters; the length is nine inches; the breadth is 16. The bill is one and a quarter long, of a black horn colour. The irides are red. The forehead is of a pale buff colour; the crown of the head a gloily black; the hind-part marked with a rich deep crimson spot. The cheeks are white; bounded beneath by a black line that passes from the corner of the mouth and surrounds the hind-part of the head. The neck is encircled with a black colour. The throat and breast are of a yellowish white; the vent-feathers of a fine light crimson. The back, rump, and coverts of the tail, and lesser coverts of the wings, are black; the scapular feathers and coverts adjoining to them, are white. The quill-feathers are black, elegantly marked on each web with round white spots. The four middle feathers of the tail are black, the next tipped with dirty yellow; the bottoms of the two outermost, black; the upper parts, a dirty white. The exterior feathers marked on each web with two black spots; the next with two on the inner web, and only one on the other. The legs are of a lead colour. The female wants that beautiful crimson spot on the head; in other respects the colours of both agree. This species is much more uncommon than the preceding; and keeps altogether in the woods.

3. The medium, or middle-sized woodpecker, agrees with the preceding in colours and size, excepting that the crown of the head in this is of a rich crimson; the crown of the head in the male of the former, black; and the crimson is in form of a bar on the hind part. Birds thus marked have been shot in Lancashire and other parts of England; but Mr Pennant is doubtful whether they are varieties, or distinct species.

4. The minor, or least spotted woodpecker, scarce weighs an ounce; the length is six inches; the breadth eleven. The forehead is of a dirty white; the crown of the head (in the male) of a beautiful crimson; the cheeks and sides of the neck are white, bounded by a bed of black beneath the former. The hind part of the head and neck, and the coverts of the wings, are black; the back is barred with black and white; the scapulars and quill-feathers spotted with black and white; the four middle feathers of the tail are black; the others varied with black and white; the breast and belly are of a dirty white; the crown of the head (in the female) is white; the feet are of a lead colour. It has all the characters and actions of the greater kind, but is not so often met with.

(John), earl of Mirandula, a prodigy of parts and learning, was the youngest child of John Francis Picus, earl of Mirandula and Concordia; and was born in the year 1463. The progress that he made in letters was so extremely rapid, that it was matter of astonishment to see even a boy one of the first poets and orators of his age. After visiting the most famous universities of France and Italy, he went to Rome; where, in 1486, before he was 24 years of age, he published 900 propositions in logic, mathematics, physics, divinity, cabalistic learning, and magic, drawn not only from Greek and Latin, but even from Jewish and Arabian writers: subjoining to his advertisement, that, "if any philosopher or divine would come to Rome to dispute with him, upon any or all of them, he would defray the expenses of his journey from the remotest corners of Italy." He enjoyed, however, the honour of this disputatious challenge quietly, without danger to his credit; for envy procured some of his propositions to be charged with heresy, and he was forbid to dispute upon them. At the age of 28, he confined himself wholly to the study of the scriptures; and undertook to combat the Jews and Mahometans, as well as to confound judicial astrology; but in this intention his credit was also saved, tho' with the loss of his life, by his dying in 1494, in his 32d year. He was called the phoenix of his age; and composed a great number of works, which have often been printed both separately and together.

Picus (John Francis), prince of Mirandula, nephew of John Picus mentioned above, was born about the year 1469. He cultivated learning and the sciences after the example of his uncle; but he had a principality and dominions to superintend, which involved him in great troubles, and at last cost him his life. He was twice driven from his principality, and twice restored; and at last, in 1533, was, together with his eldest son Albert, assassinated in his own castle by his nephew Galeotti. He was a great lover of letters; and such of his works as were then composed, were inserted in the Strasbourg edition of his uncle's in 1504, and continued in future impressions, besides some others, which were never collected.