105 
cartilages indeed have muscles accom- 
panying them along their whole length 
backwards. But there is still another 
contrivance; for there is a broad muscle, 
joining the cartilages to the bones of the 
skull, which by contracting or dilating, 
forces the cartilages forward through the 
tongue, and then forces the tongue and 
all through the beak, to be employed for 
the animal's preservation in securing its 
prey. The tongue of the Woodpecker is 
likewise furnished with a glutinous sub- 
stance, similar to that before described 
under the article Wryneck. Paley in his 
Natural Theology, makes the following 
remarks. "The tongue of the Wood- 
pecker is one of those singularities, which 
nature presents us with, when a singular 
purpose is to be answered. It is a par- 
ticular instrument for a particular use; 
and what, except design, ever produces 
such? The Woodpecker lives chiefly upon 
insects, lodged in the bodies of decayed 
or decaying trees. For the purpose of 
boring into the wood, it is furnished with 
a bill straight, hard, angular, and sharp. 
p 
