70 FAMILIAR WILD BIRDS. 



rounded. The last-named appendage is continually used 

 in supporting the bird when climbing and in assisting it to 

 maintain its upright position. Like other members of this 

 interesting family, the tongue is long, and is so arranged 

 that it can be protruded to a considerable extent ; its sides 

 and tip are furnished with barbed filaments of a horny 

 nature, which serve the purpose of impaling the insects 

 upon which the creature feeds, and this process is further 

 perfected by the copious secretion of a glutinous saliva. 

 Indeed, the entire structure of the bird furnishes one of the 

 most admirable examples of complete adaptability that can 

 possibly come under the notice of the student of natural 

 history. Moving rapidly about on the trunks and larger 

 branches in search of food, the tapping noise so frequently 

 alluded to by poets and describers of woodland beauties is 

 produced by the bird when striking the bark of a tree, either 

 to dislodge the bark, or induce any concealed insects to 

 make themselves visible to their persevering devourer. It is 

 partial to woods, parks, forests, and clumps of trees, where 

 it may occasionally be seen. 



The bird is shy in its disposition, and seems to have a 

 strong antipathy to being watched, disappearing behind a 

 trunk or bough directly it finds itself in the presence of 

 spectators. On a still afternoon the sharp jarring sounds 

 of the Woodpecker at work may be heard for a very 

 considerable distance, but it is by no means easy to ascer- 

 tain the precise locality whence they emanate. The note 

 of this bird resembles the syllable " gich," and this is 

 uttered only once at a time, and at long intervening in- 

 tervals. 



As may be easily imagined, the Great Spotted Woodpecker 

 confines itself almost entirely to an insect diet, eating, with 



