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See also:WRYNECK (Ger. Wendehals, Dutch draaihalzen, Fr. torcol)
, a See also:bird so called from its way of writhing its See also:head and See also:neck, especially when captured on its See also:nest in a hollow See also:tree
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The See also:lynx' torquilla is a See also:regular summer visitant to most parts of See also:Europe, generally arriving a few days before the See also:cuckoo, and is known in See also:England as " cuckoo's See also:leader " and " cuckoo's See also:mate," but occasionally is called " snake-bird," not only from the undulatory motions just mentioned, but from the violent hissing with which it seeks to repel an intruder from its hole
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The unmistakable See also:note of the See also:wryneck is merely a repetition of what may be syllabled que, que, gue, many times in See also:succession, rapidly uttered at first, but gradually slowing and in a continually falling See also: Another distinct See also:African species is the I. aequatorialis, originally described from See also:Abyssinia . The wrynecks (see See also:WOODPECKER) See also:form a subfamily Iynginae of the Picidae, from the more normal See also:groups of which they differ but little in See also:internal structure, but much in coloration and in having the tail-quills flexible, or at least not stiffened to serve as props as in the climbing Picinae . (A . N.) WRY-NECK (See also:Lat . Torticollis), a congenital or acquired deformity, characterized by the affected See also:side of the head being See also:drawn downwards towards the See also:shoulder together with deviation of the See also:face towards the See also:sound side . There are various forms . (1) The congenital, due to a See also:lesion of the sterno-mastoid muscle, either the result of a malposition in utero or due to the rupture of the muscle in the delivery of the aftercoming head in the See also:birth of the See also:breech presentation . (2) The rheumatic, due to exposure to a See also:draught or See also:cold . This is commonly known as " stiff-neck." (3) The See also:nervous or spasmodic, the result of (a) See also:direct irritation of the See also:spinal See also:accessory See also:nerve or its roots, or (b) the result of cerebral irritation . In this form there is generally a See also:family See also:history of nervous diseases, notably See also:epilepsy . This spasm is one of a See also:group of nervous spasms known as " tics," a variety of See also:habit spasm . The See also:character of the movements varies with the muscles involved, the most usual muscle being the sternomastoid . The spasm ceases during See also:sleep . Many cases are also due to See also:hysteria and some to spinal See also:caries . When wry-neck is congenital, See also:massage and manipulation may be tried and some form of apparatus . Failing this, See also:division of the muscle surgically ' Frequently misspelt, as by See also:Linnaeus in his later years, Yunx . ' The peculiarity was known to See also:Aristotle, and possibly led to the cruel use of the bird as a love-See also:charm, to which several classical writers refer, as See also:Pindar (Pyth. iv . 214; Nem. iv . 35), See also:Theocritus (iv . 17 . 30) and See also:Xenophon (Memorabilia, iii. tr . 17, 18) . In one See also:part at least of See also:China a name, Shay See also:ling, signifying " Snake's neck," is given to it (See also:Ibis, 1875, p . 125).may be practised .
In the spasmodic forms, See also:anti-neurotic treatment is recommended, the use of the bromides, valerianates and See also:belladonna, and hydrobromide of hyoscine injected into the muscles has been found of value
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