XIII 

 THE WOODPECKER'S TOOLS : HIS TAIL 



IF we study the woodpecker's anatomy and 

 observe his broad, strong, highly-arched hip- 

 bones and the heavy, triangular " ploughshare " 

 bone in which the tail feathers are planted, as 

 well as the stiffness and strength of the tail it- 

 self, we must conclude that it is not by acci- 

 dent that he uses his tail as a prop. The whole 

 structure shows that the bird was intended " to 

 lean on his tail." What we wish to discover is 

 how good a tail it is to lean on. 



Our first impression is that the woodpecker's 



tail might be im- 

 proved. Why are 

 not the tips of the 

 feathers stiffer ? 

 Why is it so 

 rounded ? Most of 

 the work seems to 

 fall on the middle 



Tail of Hairy Woodpecker. P j_i j 



leathers, and in 

 some species, as the downy and the hairy wood- 



