The Green'Woodpecker. Pic,us Viridis.
Numb. XVIII.
IT S Length from the tip of the Bill to the end of the Tail is 1 4 Inches and a half;
Breadth of the Wings when extended, 20 Inches and a half; Weight 6 Ounces
and a half; the Bill from the Point to the Angles of the Mouth is one Inch and three
Quarters long, black, hard, ftrong, triangular, ending in a blunt Point; a rediih Circle
immediately encorripafles the Pupil of the Eye, the reft of the Iris being white ; the
Tongue when ftretched out is 6 Inches long, ending in a iharp, bony Subftance, rough
-underneath, wherewith it takes the Infedts from the Bodies of the Trees, of which Kind
.the Ant is its chief Food ; the Top of the Head is of a crimibn Colour fpotted with
black; the Eyes are encompafled with black; under the black on each Side is another
red Spot, which is peculiar to the Cock; the Throat, Breaft and Belly are of a pale green;
the, Back, Neck and' lefler Rows of covert Feathers of the Wings green ; .the Rump of
a' pale yellow or ftraw Colour j the Feathers under the Tail are crofted with tranfverfe
jduflty,'Lines fpotted with white Spots, the inner Webs of the fame Colour with the preceding
the Feathers covering .the Roots of the Flags underneath are of a pale green, with
'tranfverfe duiky Lines. The'Tail confifts of 10 Feathers, ftiff and bending inwards,
which by reafon the Shaft reaches not to the end of the Webs, feems to be forked; the
•two middlemoft Feathers are the longeft ; their Tips black; elfe they are marked with
trofs Bars above of a dark green alternately placed; the lefler or outmoft have their Tops
green and Bottoms black.
The Feet and Toes are of a greenifh lead Colour; the Claws duiky; the Toes placed
as in the reft of this Kind, two forward and two backward; the loweft Bones of the fore
Toes are joined together. It hath a large Gall an Inch and a half long; the right Tefti-
clc round and the left oblong and bent almoft into a Circle, this is natural and not accidental,
being the fame in feveral Birds which were opened. It hath no blind Guts, but
in their Stead the ftreight Gut is dilated in that Place. Its Crop was full of Ants and
Ants Eggs, and fits fometimes on the Ground near to the Ant-Hills, where it feeks its
Food.
The Tips of the Shafts of the Tail Feathers in this and other Woodpeckers feem broken
or worn off by their refting upon them in climbing.
This Kind lays 5 or 6 Eggs at once, and 6 young ones have been found in a Neft
together.