686 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



THE WHITE-HEADED WOODPECKER 



Fig. 4. Confined to the Pacific Coast region and westward to 

 Nevada, this Woodpecker (Xenopicus albolarvatus) is a singu- 

 larly conspicuous bird. This male specimen is reproduced from 

 a water-color by the author (nat. size). (Henshaw, coll., Kern- 

 ville, California, October, 1875.) 



tongues, and this is especially required in the case of 

 woodpeckers. In front, the tongue has a single, median 

 bone; but further back it presents two branches, also 

 containing very slender bones, as shown in the cut. 

 The whole is under the control of a series of muscles, 

 delicate in form and structure, which regulate its pro- 

 trusion and retraction when not in use. In some species 

 (Picus) the imnner, free extremkies curve around the 

 right orbit as a place to harbor these muscles when 

 not being protruded ; in other species, as in our Golden- 

 winged Woodpecker, these ends run forwards in a groove 

 on the top of the cranium, to be stowed away in the right 

 nostril. Quite a chapter would be required to fully de- 

 scribe all that pertains to the anatomy and physiology 

 of this most remarkable contrivance, for which space 

 is not available in the present connection. 



The skeleton and muscular structure of the neck of a 

 woodpecker is very strong indeed, the entire anatomy 

 of the bigger species is by no means lacking in such 

 matters. Further, their clinging to the trunks and limbs 

 of trees demands other modifications in their build, and 

 we find it exemplified principally in the tail and feet 

 of the majority of the species. With but few exceptions, 



the feathers in the tail are unusually stiff and strong, 

 with distally pointed ends. This arrangement allows the 

 bird to sustain its most unusual position, or its various 

 attitudes when alighting on or ascending the more or 

 less vertical trunks and limbs of trees. Then, too, the 

 feet are structurally different from the vast majority of 

 perching and other birds; for they have, as a rule, two 

 strong toes in front and two behind the exception being 

 two in front and only one behind, as in our three-toed 

 woodpeckers. This arrangement assures the best of 

 seizing and holding-on capacities so essential to a wood- 

 pecker's peculiar requirements. Again, the entire mus- 

 cular system of an average woodpecker makes for the 

 best carry-out of its particular needs, and the study 

 of the anatomy of these birds is a chapter of great in- 

 terest, one to which I have contributed not a few pages 

 and plates. Several of the characters referred to in the 

 foregoing paragraph are exemplified in the figures of 



AMERICAN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER 



Pig 5. Differing from other forms of the family, the American 

 Three-toed Woodpecker (Picoidrs a. amcricaiius) has. as its 

 name indicates, but three toes instead of four upon either foot. 

 Photographically copied by the author from a plate by Mr. 

 Fuertes. 



