HABITS OF WOODPECKER 



of a tree, characterize these birds. The green wood- 

 pecker, which the Nature writer genially calls " Yaffle," 

 is a denizen of most parts of England, and is one of our 

 handsomest birds, green, with a yellow patch upon the 

 back and red streaks on the head. It frequents trees, 

 as do other woodpeckers, and extracts from crevices 

 by means of an extraordinarily elongated tongue (another 

 character of the family Picidse, but not of the rest of 

 the group Pici) insects, upon which it feeds. The " tap, 

 tap " of the woodpecker which, as a matter of fact, 

 seems to be usually the nuthatch, not the woodpecker 

 is, in spite of Henry Kirke White, not applied to 

 " the hollow beech tree." It has been justly pointed 

 out that this is the one tree not at all suitable to wood- 

 peckers, for the bark clings tight and does not furnish 

 crevices wherein may lurk insects. The variant " hollow 

 elm tree " of the undertaker in David Cop per field is 

 better. The bill as an instrument serves the wood- 

 pecker for another purpose besides dislodging insects. 

 With this heavy combined hammer and chisel the bird 

 excavates a hole for its nest. In the hole are laid the 

 white eggs which characterize this, as they do so many 

 birds which deposit their eggs in concealed situations. 

 The woodpecker exhibits the truth of the oft-quoted 

 half line, " Sic vos non vobis," for, after the woodpecker 

 has arduously excavated a suitable cavern, a pair of 

 starlings at once take possession of it tor their nursery. 

 The somewhat mocking cry of the green woodpecker 

 has been rendered " glu-glu-glu-gluk." It seems that 

 there are about 350 known species of woodpeckers in 

 the world, but only three of these live regularly in this 

 country, though the number may of course be in- 

 creased by casual visitors. Anatomically the wood- 

 peckers seem to come nearest to the toucans and 

 barbets. But they are a very clearly marked family, 

 notwithstanding. 



Z.G. l6l M 



