HABITS OF WOODPECKER 
of a tree, characterize these birds. The green wood- 
pecker, which the Nature writer genially calls ‘‘ Yaffle,”’ 
is a denizen of most parts of England, and is one of our 
_ handsomest birds, green, with a yellow patch upon the 
back and red streaks on the head. It frequents trees, 
as do other woodpeckers, and extracts from crevices 
by means of an extraordinarily elongated tongue (another 
character of the family Picide, but not of the rest of 
the group Pici) insects, upon which it feeds. The “ tap, 
tap’ of the woodpecker—which, as a matter of fact, 
seems to be usually the nuthatch, not the woodpecker 
—is, in spite of Henry Kirke White, not applied to 
“the hollow beech tree.’ It has been justly pointed 
out that this is the one tree not at all suitable to wood- 
peckers, for the bark clings tight and does not furnish 
crevices wherein may lurk insects. The variant ‘“‘ hollow 
elm tree” of the undertaker in David Copperfield is 
better. The bill as an instrument serves the wood- 
pecker for another purpose besides dislodging insects. 
With this heavy combined hammer and chisel the bird 
excavates a hole for its nest. In the hole are laid the 
white eggs which characterize this, as they do so many 
birds which deposit their eggs in concealed situations. 
The woodpecker exhibits the truth of the oft-quoted 
half line, “ Sic vos non vobis,”’ for, after the woodpecker 
has arduously excavated a suitable cavern, a pair of 
starlings at once take possession of it for ¢heiy nursery. 
The somewhat mocking cry of the green woodpecker 
has been rendered “ glu-glu-glu-gluk.”’ It seems that 
there are about 350 known species of woodpeckers in 
the world, but only three of these live regularly in this 
country, though the number may of course be in- 
creased by casual visitors. Anatomically the wood- 
peckers seem to come nearest to the toucans and 
barbets. But they are a very clearly marked family, 
notwithstanding. 
Z.G. 161 M 
