NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Food Strength of his bill. 



and black. The wings are pretty long, measuring 

 eighteen or twenty inches when extended from 

 point to point. But the bill and tongue of this 

 little animal are its naost distinguished charac- 

 teristics, and which serve for its support and 

 defence. 



This bird feeds upon insects, and particularly 

 on those which are lodged in the bottom of hol- 

 low or rotten trees, in the discovery of which, 

 the extraordinary strength of his bill is of the 

 greatest advantage; traversing up and down the 

 trunk of the tree, he keeps striking with his bill, 

 and where the place sounds hollow he stops, and 

 by continued blows penetrates a hole in the bark 

 sufficient to receive his bill, which he then thrusts 

 in, and sends forth a loud whistling into the ca- 

 vity, in order to disengage the insects, and put 

 them into motion; which he has no sooner done, 

 than he makes use of his tongue, which proves 

 an excellent instrument for procuring this food, 

 it is round, ending irt a stiff, sharp, bony tip, 

 clentatcd on both sides, like the beard of an 

 arrow; and which he can dart out three or four 

 inches from the bill, rfnd draw in again at plea- 

 sifre. The prey is thus transfixed, and drawn 

 into the bill, which bejrig swallowed, the daft is 



airain launched at fresh arame. 

 o > 



Nothing hds employed the attention of the cu- 

 rious, in this part of anatomy, more than the con- 

 trivance by which the tongue of this" bird per- 

 forms its functions with such great celerity; and 



