ninus. 175 



The woodpecker, however, does not confine its depredations 

 solely to trees, but sometimes lights upon the ground, to try its 

 fortune at an ant-hill. It is not so secure of prey there as in 

 the former case, although the numbers are much greater. They 

 lie generally too deep for the bird to come at them ; and it is 

 obliged to make up by stratagem the defect of power. The 

 woodpecker first goes to their hills, which it pecks, in order to 

 call them abroad ; it then thrusts out its long red tongue, which 

 being like a worm, and resembling their usual prey, the ants 

 ^.•ome out to settle upon, in great numbers j however, the bird 

 watching the properest opportunity, withdraws its tongue at a 

 jerk, and devours the devourers. This stratagem it continues 

 till it has alarmed their fears ; or till it is quite satisfied. • 



As the Woodpecker is obliged to make holes in trees to pro- 

 cure food, so is it also to make cavities still larger to form its 

 nest, and to lay in. This is performed, as usual, with the bill ; 

 although some have affirmed that the animal uses its tongue 

 as a gimblet to bore with. But this is a mistake ; and those 

 that are curious, may often hear the noise of the bill making its 

 way in large woods and forests. The woodpecker chooses, 

 however, for this purpose, trees that are decayed, or wood that 

 is soft, like beech, elm, and poplar lu these, with very little 

 trouble, it can make holes as exactly round as a mathematician 

 could with compasses. One of these holes the bird generally 

 chooses for its own use, to nestle and bring up its young in ; but 

 as they are easily made, it is delicate in its choice, and often 

 makes twenty before one is found fit to give entire satisfaction. 

 Of those which it has made and deserted, other birds, not so 

 good borers, and less delicate in their choice, take possession. 

 The jay and the starling lay their eggs in these holes ; and bats 

 are now and then found in peaceable possession. Boys some- 

 times have thrust in their hands with certain hopes of plucking 

 out a bird's egg ; but to their great mortification, have had their 

 fingers bitten by a bat at the bottom. 



The woodpecker takes no care to line its nest with feathers 



♦ T he WVyjiecA', so called from a Iiabit of turning- the neck, bears a close 

 i naliigy to the woodpeckers, in the extensibility of the tong-ue, and the posi- 

 tion of the toea. This bird darts its long tongue into an ant hill, and draws 

 It out loaded with ant«, which are retained by the viscous liquid wliich 

 co\crs it. 



