only ascends trees by moving obliquely and in spiral. As it ascends, it carefully 

 examines the bark, ta|)i)inK and listeninj^' as it i)roj,'resscs. On reaching the top 

 of the tree it flies downward to the base of another tree to again repeat the 

 process of ascending, tapping and listening. Occasionally it is seen in hedges, 

 and in severe weather it may seek its food in the walls of old buildings and in 

 cultivated trees. Its hard and sharj) bill enables it to penetrate even the hard 

 wood exterior of trees in its search for in.sects in the somewhat decayed portions 

 within. When the work of its bill has opened a passage to its prey its tongue is 

 used for the extraction of the food. It is an extensile organ and barbed with 

 reflected bristles. It catches insects found on the surface of the bark or upon 

 the ground bv the use of the tongue only and the rapidity with which it is 

 moved is wonderful. Reverend F. O. Morris describes its tongue when in motion, 

 as having "the appearance of a silver ribbon, or rather, from its transparency, 

 a stream of molten glass, and the ra[)idity with which it is protruded and with- 

 drawn is so great that the eye is dazzled in following its motions ; it is flexible 

 in the highest degree." 



The Green Woodpecker not only feeds upon the grubs that bore in the 

 wood of trees, but also upon the various insects that it finds upon the surface. It 

 will also feed upon the eggs of insects, and ants are dainty morsels of food and 

 of these it destroys a large number, seeking them upon the ground as well as 

 on the trees. Bew^ick says that the Green Woodpecker will not only use it bill 

 and tongue in its search for ants on the ground, but will also use its feet to 

 scratch away the leaves and dirt. 



The Green Woodpecker nests either in a natural hole in a tree or in one 

 that it has excavated. It never attacks a tree for this purpose that is perfectly 

 sound, but only those that are more or less decayed within. Here the labor 

 is light and there is usually an abundance of food near by. Both sexes assist in 

 the work of excavating through the healthy exterior wood and so rapid are the 

 strokes of their bills that it is impossible to count them. The holes are not lined 

 and the eggs are laid on the powdered decayed wood in the bottom or upon a 

 few chips that are left from the chiseling of the hard wood. The young birds 

 leave the nest and run on the tree before they are able to fly and it is said 

 that if they are taken from the tree at this time they may be raised in captivity 

 and will become quite tame. 



The woodpeckers are among our most useful birds. Though they do not 

 feed to anv extent upon the insect pests of the meadow, the grain field and the 

 garden, they do destroy a large number of the borers and other insects that are 

 injurious to trees. "The aged tree is all to the woodpecker and the woodpecker 

 is much to the aged tree." 



815 



