244 A DESCRIPTION OF 
upon his breast against the stem of a tree ; when after 
darting, with great strength and noise, his beak against 
the bark, he runs round the tree with great alacrity, 
which manoeuvre has made the country people suppose 
that he goes round to see whether he has not pierced the 
tree through its trunk ; though the fact is, the bird is in 
search of the insects, which he hopes to have driven out 
by his blow. 
The following lines, from Moore's beautiful song, allude 
to the noise the Woodpecker makes in searching for 
its food. 
I knew by the smoke that so gracefully curl'd 
Above the green elms, that a cottage was near, 
And I said, if there 's peace to be found in the world, 
A heart that was humble might hope for it here. 
Every leaf was at rest, and I heard not a sound, 
But the Woodpecker tapping the hollow beech-tree. 
The fact is, that this beating against the bark is for no 
other purpose than to rouse the insects which the chink 
contains, and to force them to come out, which they do 
from their alarm at the noise, when the Woodpecker turn- 
ing round takes them unawares, and feeds upon them : if 
the insects do not answer the delusive call, the birds dart 
their long tongues into the hole, and bring out, by this means, 
their reluctant prey. The plumage of this bird is a com- 
pound of red and green, two colours, the approximation of 
which is always productive of harmony in the works of 
nature. They nestle in the hollows of trees, where the 
female lays five or six whitish eggs, without making any 
nest, trusting to the natural heat of her body to hatch 
them into life. 
The Green Woodpecker is seen more frequently on the 
ground than the other kinds, particularly where there are 
ant-hills. It inserts its long tongue into the holes through 
which the ants issue, and draws out these insects in abun- 
