THE GREEN WOODPECKER. 187 



Extraordinary tongue Sagacity. 



by their observations they find that the tongue 

 is drawn back into the hill by the help of two 

 small round cartilages, fastened into the fore- 

 mentioned bony tip, and running along the 

 length of the tongue. These cartilages, from 

 the root of the tongue, take a circuit beyond the 

 ears; and being reflected backwards to the crown, 

 of the head, make a large bow. The muscular, 

 spongy flesh of the tongue, encloses these carti- 

 lages like a sheath ; and is so made, that it may 

 be extended or contracted like a worm. The 

 cartilages indeed have muscles accompanying 

 them along their whole length backwards. But 

 there is still another contrivance; for there is a 

 a broad muscle, joining the cartilages to the 

 bones of the skull, which, by contracting or di- 

 lating, forces the cartilages forward through the 

 tongue, and then forces the tongue and all 

 through the bill, to be employed for the animal's 

 preservation in piercing its prey. 



When the woodpecker, by its natural sagacity, 

 discovers the rotten part of a tree, and which 

 part almost always contains ants' eggs, and a va- 

 riety of insects. When resting by its strong 

 claws, and leaning on the thick feathers of its 

 .tail, it begins to bore with its sharp strong beak, 

 until it penetrates pretty largely into the internal 

 habitation. Upon which, either through pier- 

 sure at the sight of its prey, or with a desire to 

 alarm the insect colony, it sends forth a loud cry, 

 which throws terror and confusion into the whole 

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