THE RED-HEADED WOODPECKE'R ' 101 



get away, for the barbs hold it on. But sometimes 

 an insect is too small to be pierced in this way; 

 such are caught by a sort of glue that is on the 

 end of the tongue. They get stuck fast in it.) 

 [If there is any danger that the children may not 

 understand the latter statement, a child might take 

 a little glue on his finger and notice how all small 

 particles that he touches with his finger cling to it.] 

 Can you tell now why this bird is called a wood- 

 pecker? Does it harm the trees to be bored into in 

 this way ? (They do not often bore into a tree unless 

 they hear a grub or bug under the bark.) What if 

 these grubs were left in the tree? (They might kill 

 it.) Do trees that are healthy have insects under the 

 bark? (No.) What kind of trees, then, does a red- 

 headed woodpecker peck? (Only those that need 

 the woodpecker to take away the insects that injure 

 them.) Did you ever see them peck at the bark of 

 dead trees? Do you think they were there for 

 insects ? Strip off the bark from a dead tree and see 

 if you can find insects there. 



Upon what does the woodpecker sit while break- 

 ing into the grub's house? (It does not sit at all, it 

 stands up.) How can it do this? (Have stuffed 

 specimen or a good picture in the class to show how 



