WOODPECKER. 



147 



it is capable of striking with such force against the 

 trunks of trees, as to be heard at a great distance: 

 its tongue is long and taper, with a hard bony sub- 

 stance at the tip, which terminates in two long 

 slender cartilages proceeding from below upwards, 

 and from behind forwards, over the whole skull, 

 under the skin, and are attached to the forehead 

 near the base of the beak : by means of these car- 

 tilages it is that the birds of this genus are able 

 to thrust out their long filiform tongue to obtain 

 the insects or their larvae, which are often deeply 

 seated in the solid tree : their tail consists of ten 

 stiff sharp-pointed feathers, bent inwards, by which 

 they secure themselves on the trunks of trees 

 when in search of food. Their feet are well 

 adapted for climbing, as the toes are situated two 

 and two, by which they can creep up or down in 

 any direction. They have a membranaceous sto- 

 mach, and want the coecum, a circumstance pecu- 

 liar to this tribe. 



The apparent solitary life of the Woodpecker 

 is thus described by Buffon. " Of all the birds 

 which earn their subsistence by spoil, none leads 

 a life so laborious and painful as the Woodpeckers 

 Nature has condemned it to incessant toil and 

 slavery. While others freely employ their courage 

 or address, and either shoot on rapid wing or lurk 

 in close ambush, the Woodpecker is constrained 

 to drag out an insipid existence in boring the bark 

 and hard fibres of trees to extract its humble prey* 

 Necessity never suffers any intermission of its la- 

 bours, never grants an interval of sound repose ; 



