IG 
WOODPECKERS. 
for insects, digging a circular hole through the bark, 
just sufficient to admit his hill, after that a second, 
third, etc., in pretty regular horizontal circles round 
the body of the tree ; these parallel circles of holes 
are often not more than an inch and a half apart, 
and sometimes so close together, that I have covered 
eight or ten of them at once with a dollar. From 
nearly the surface of the ground up to the first fork, 
and sometimes far beyond it, the whole bark of many 
apple-trees is perforated in this manner, so as to appear 
as if made by successive discharges of buck-shot. 
This is in a great measure the work of the little 
Downy AVoodpecker. 
In length this species is six inches and three quar- 
ters, and its extent twelve inches. It has been gene- 
rally supposed that this bird, and some others of its 
family, feed upon the sap of the trees that it pnncturesj 
and they have therefore obtained the appellation of 
“ Sap-suckers ; ” but this opinion appears to be 
erroneous. 
The three-toed species exhibit an exception to the 
general zygodactylic form of the 
AToodpecker’s foot. This pecidiar 
form may probably enable tlie bird 
to rim along the stem and branches 
of trees with greater facility than 
those which have two toes behind. 
They are inhabitants of America, 
Asia, and Europe. It is the hallux, 
or true hind toe, that is wanting. 
