GOLDEN-BACKED WOODPECKER 157 



" It has the appearance of a silver ribbon, rather, from 

 its transparency, of a stream of molten glass, and the 

 rapidity with which it is protruded and withdrawn is 

 so great that the eye is dazzled by following its motions ; 

 it is flexible in the highest degree." 



Now, I must confess that my eye has never been 

 dazzled in following the motions of the woodpecker's 

 tongue, for the simple reason that it is unable to follow 

 them, nor do I believe that any other human eye can. 

 Imagination must, I think, be the source of the above 

 description. I daresay if we could see the movement 

 of a woodpecker's tongue at work it would look like a 

 stream of molten glass ! 



Watch a toad, or even a lizard, catching insects, and 

 what you appear to see is the poochee taking a voluntary 

 jump into the mouth of its enemy. The insect, of 

 course, does nothing so foolish. The motion of the 

 toad's tongue is so rapid that the human eye cannot 

 follow it. If tapping does not cause the insects to 

 leave their hiding-place in the bark, the woodpecker 

 drags them out by inserting its sticky tongue in the 

 crevices. As the insects in question are mostly ants, 

 I do not feel very deeply for them. The world can well 

 spare a few ants. 



The woodpecker's tail is not ornamental. As regards 

 looks, it is but an apology for a tail. It is composed of 

 a business-like set of bristles, which are very stiff and 

 point downwards. But, ugly as they are, the bird 

 could ill afford to lose them. They support it during 

 its gymnastic performances on the trunks of trees. 

 The breast of the woodpecker is flatter than that of 



