The Woodpecker. 71 



" He makes it with his bill. It must be very 

 sharp, for he sticks it way into the wood," said 

 Mabel. 



" Why is he tapping ? " asked Alice. 



Their mother, who was not far behind, came 

 up just in time to answer this question. 



" He is eating his breakfast, Alice." 



" Out of wood ? How can that be ? " asked 

 both girls at once. 



Mamma stepped to the old tree, and stripped 

 off a piece of bark. " What do we find here, 

 girls ? " 



" Little worms and bugs," said Alice. 



" Those are what Mr. Woodpecker is after. 

 There is something very strange about his tongue. 

 The end of it is covered with little sharp points," 

 said mamma, " so the insects cannot get away 

 from him." 



" Mamma," said Alice, " some of the insects 

 are very tiny." 



"Yes, but he has another way of catching 

 those. He has a sticky substance on the end 

 of his tongue, and the tiny insects are caught 

 by it." 



" Look just above your head, dear. Do you see 

 the little round hole in that large dead limb ? " 



