166 



THE GREEN WOODPECKER. 



esteems a great delicacy. He will watch for 

 them in the neighbourhood of an ant-hill, resting 

 his long tongue on the ground, to receive them 

 in their passage to and from the nest ; and when 

 his tongue is covered, he retires to eat them. 

 Sometimes he makes a violent attack on the ant- 

 hill itself, and makes the little creatures and 

 their eggs alike his prey. At other times he is 

 continually climbing trees, and striking them in 

 the manner before described, with his bill. The 

 noise may be heard to a considerable distance, 

 and the strokes counted. 



The woodpecker's nest is made in the hollow of 

 a decayed tree. Tapping with his bill, he easily 

 discovers the part where the trunk is hollow 

 within ; and he and his mate work alternately to 

 open a way to the centre, by piercing the sound 

 part of the wood with their bills. In doing this, 

 they carefully throw out the chips. They often 

 make a hole so deep in the tree, and penetrate by 

 such a sloping passage, that the light of day can 

 scarcely enter. Here they make a nest of moss 

 and wood. The eggs are from four to six in 

 number : they are quite white. During the time 

 of hatching, the male and female rarely quit each 

 other. They retire early in the evening to their 

 hole, where they remain till daylight. 



