128 THE BLACK WOODPECKER. 



OF T1IE WOODPECKERS IN GENERAL. 



THE bill is straight, strong, and angular ; and at the end, in most 

 of the species, is formed like a wedge, for the purpose of piercing the 

 trjes The nostrils are covered with bristles. The tongue is very 

 long slender, cylindrical, bony, hard, and jngged at the end. The 

 toes are placed two forward, and two backward ; and the tail consists 

 of t^n "hard, stiff, arid sharp-pointed feathers. 



The Woodpeckers are a very singular race of birds, that live 

 almost entirely on insects, which they pick out of decayed trees, and 

 from the bark of such as are sound. These they transfix and draw 

 from the crevices by means of their tongue, which is bony at the 

 end, barbed, and furnished with a curious apparatus of muscles, for 

 the purpose of throwing it forward with great force. Their bill is 

 also so strong and powerful, that by means of it they are able to per- 

 forate even such trees as are perfectly sound. In the holes which 

 they thus make, they construct their nests. Their voice is acute, and 

 very unpleasant. . 



THE BLACK WOODPECKER. 



This bird weighs about eleven ounces. Its plumage is black ex 

 cept the crown of the head, which is of a rich 

 crimson. The head of the female is only marked 

 with red behind. 



It inhabits Switzerland, Germany, and several 

 of the northern regions ; and is migratory. It is 

 also quite common in this country. 



The Black Woodpecker subsists on insects, 

 which it catcher on the bark of trees, or between 

 the bark and i!ie wood. It darts out its long 

 tongue, sometimes three or four inches beyond its 

 bill, transfixes the insects with the end, and then BLACK WOODPECKKJU 

 with a very quick motion retracts it and swallows 

 them The feathers of the tail are very stiff; and so firmly set into 

 the rump, that, when the bird has fastened its claws into the inequal- 

 ities of the bark, he places his strong tail-feathers against it, and thus 

 standing as it were erect, forms a hole by means of his bill. He is 

 able to pierce not only sound, but even hard trees, as the oak and 

 hornbeam. The hole thus made is enlarged within, for the greater 

 convenience of depositing its nest. The damage that the Black 

 Woodpecker does to timber by this means is very great. 



The female lays two or three white eggs. This bird Las a very 

 loud note; and feeds on caterpillars and insects. 



