126 THE RIVER-SIDE NATURALIST. 



It has many other provincial names, as Cutbill, Wood- 

 spite, Awl-Bird, Woodwall or Woodweele : 



" The woodweele sang, and would not cease, 



Sitting upon the spray, 

 Sae loude he wakened Robin Hood, 

 In the greenwoode where he lay." 



Chaucer calls it the Woodwale " With chalandre and 

 with woodwale" 



Nurdis, in " The Village Curate," says : 



" Now we hear 



The golden woodpecker, who, like a fool, 

 Laughs loud at nothing." 



If you put your glass upon him you will find the male 

 bird has a scarlet top to its head, black bill, black round 



DIAGRAM TO SHOW THE TONGUE OF THE WOODPECKER. 



T, the tongue. 



B, the barbs of the tongue, pointing directly backwards. 



C, D, E, F, slender osihyoides supporting the tongue turning into two long 

 cartilaginous processes which form a very acute angle at their junction with the 

 tongue ; bending downwards at C, they pass obliquely round the sides of the neck 

 connected by a membrane M, then being inflected upwards, converge towards the 

 back of the head, where they meet, and being enclosed in a common sheath at 

 the cranium, E, till it arrives between the eyes. From this point the two cartilages, 

 which are closely confined, are deflected towards the right side, and terminate at 

 the edge of the aperture of the right nostril, F. 



The cartilages are represented at D drawn out of the groove provided to receive 

 them. The curvature is diminished by the muscles, L, and then the tongue is 

 protruded. 



