GREEN WOODPECKER. 139 



each accompanied throughout their length by a slender 

 slip of muscle, by the contraction of which the bow is 

 shortened, and the tongue pushed forward; another pair 

 of muscles folded twice round the upper part of the trachea, 

 and from thence passing forward, are attached to the an- 

 terior part of the tongue, and by their contraction bring 

 the tongue back again. The tongue itself is furnished at 

 the tip with a horny point, and also with four or five 

 short bristle-like hairs on each side which are directed 

 backwards. At each side of the head of the bird, behind 

 and below the external orifice of the ear, is a large and 

 elongated parotid gland, from which a membranous duct 

 passes as far forwards as the point of union of the two 

 bones, forming together the lower mandible, on the inner 

 surface of which the glutinous secretion of these large 

 glands passes out, and may be seen to issue on making 

 slight pressure along the course of the glands. The flat- 

 tened inner surface of the two bones which are united along 

 the distal part of their lower edge, forms the natural si- 

 tuation of the tongue when at rest within the mandibles ; 

 and every time it is drawn into the mouth when the 

 bird is feeding, it becomes covered with a fresh supply of 

 the glutinous mucus. From a close examination of the 

 contents of the stomach of many Green Woodpeckers, I 

 am induced to believe that the point of the tongue is not 

 used as a spear, nor the food taken up by the beak, unless 

 the subject , whatever it may happen to be, is too heavy to 

 be lifted by adhesion. 



Insects of various sorts, ants, and their eggs, form the 

 principal food of the Green Woodpecker; and I have 

 seldom had an opportunity of examining a recently killed 

 specimen the beak of which did not indicate, by the earth 

 adhering to the base, and to the feathers about the 



