520 



A HISTORY OF 



by the help of two small round cartilages, 

 fastened into the fore-mentioned bony tip, and 

 running along the length of the tongue. These 

 cartilages, fro n the root of the tongue, take a 

 circuit beyond the ears ; and being reflected 

 backwards to the crown of the head, make a 

 large bow. The muscular spongy flesh of the 

 tongue encloses these cartilages, like a sheath ; 

 and is so made that it may be extended or 

 contracted like a worm. The cartilages in- 

 deed have muscles accompanying them along 

 their whole length backwards. But there is 

 still another contrivance ; for there is a broad 

 muscle joining the cartilages to the bones of 

 the skull, which, by contracting or dilating, 

 forces the cartilages forward through the 

 tongue, and then forces the tongue and all 

 through the bill, to be employed for the ani- 

 mal's preservation in piercing its prey. 



Such is the instrument with which this bird 

 is provided ; and this the manner in which 

 this instrument is employed. When a wood- 

 pecker, by its natural sagacity, finds out a 

 rotten hollow tree, where there are worms, 

 ants' eggs, or insects, it immediately prepares 

 for its operations. Resting by its strong claws, 

 and leaning on the thick feathers of its tail, 

 it begins to bore with its sharp strong beak, 

 until it discloses the whole internal habitation. 

 Upon this, either through pleasure at the sight 

 of its prey, or with a desire to alarm the in- 

 sect colony, it sends forth a loud cry, which 

 throws terror and confusion into the whole 

 insect tribe. They creep hither and thither, 

 seeking for safety ; while the bird luxuriously 

 feasts upon them at leisure, darting its tongue 

 with unerring certainty, and devouring the 

 whole brood. 



The woodpecker, however, does not con- 

 fine its depredations solely to trees, but some- 

 times lights upon the ground, to try its fortune 

 at an ant-hill. It is not so secure of prey there 

 as in the former case, although the numbers 

 arc much greater. They lie generally too 

 deep for the bird to come at them ; and it is 

 obliged to make up by stratagem the defect of 

 power. The woodpecker first goes to their 

 hills, which it pecks, in order to call them 

 abroad ; it then thrusts out its long red tongue, 

 which being like a worm, and resembling 

 their usual prey, the ants come out to settle 

 upon, in great numbers ; however, the bird 

 watching the properest opportunity, withdraws 



its tongue at a jerk, and devonres the devou- 

 rers. This stratagem it continues till it has 

 alarmed their fears ; or till it is quite satisfied. 

 As the woodpecker is obliged to nidke holes 

 in trees to procure food, so is it also to make 

 cavities still larger to form its nest, and to lay 

 in. This is performed, as usual, with the bill; 

 although some have affirmed that the animal 

 uses its tongue as a gimblet to bore with. 

 But this is a mistake; and those that are 

 curious, may often hear the noise of the bill 

 making its way in large woods and forests. 

 The woodpecker chooses, however, for this 

 purpose, trees that are decayed, or wood that 

 is soft, like beach, elm, and poplar. In these, 

 with very little trouble, it can make holes as 

 exactly round as a mathematician could with 

 compasses. One of these holes the bird gene- 

 rally chooses for its own use, to nestle and 

 bring up its young in; but as they are easily 

 made, it is delicate in its choice, and often 

 makes twenty before one is found fit to give 

 entire satisfaction. Of those which it has 

 made and deserted, other birds, not so good 

 borers, and less delicate in their choice, take 

 possession. The jay and the starling lay 

 their eggs in these holes ; and bats are now 

 and then found in peaceable possession. Boys 

 sometimes have thrust in their hands with cer- 

 tain hopes of plucking out a bird's egg ; but, 

 to their great mortification, have had their 

 fingers bitten by a bat at the bottom. 



The woodpecker takes no care to line its 

 nest with feathers or straw; its eggs are de- 

 posited in the hole, without any thing to keep 

 them warm, except the heat of the parent's 

 body. Their number is generally five, or six; 

 always white, oblong, and of a middle size. 

 When the young are excluded, and before 

 they leave the nest, they are adorned with a 

 scarlet plumage under the throat, which adds 

 to their beauty. 



In our climate, this bird is contented with 

 such a wainscot habitation as has been de- 

 scribed for its young ; but in the warmer 

 regions of Guinea and Brasil, they take a very 

 different method to protect and hatch their 

 nascent progeny. A traveller who walks into 

 the forests of those countries, among the first 

 strange objects that excite curiosity, is struck 

 with the multitude of birds' nests hanging at 

 the extremity of almost every branch. Many 

 other kinds of birds build in this manner, but 



