part of the trachea, and from thence passing forward, are
attached to the anterior part of the tongue, and by their contraction
bring the tongue back-again. The tongue itself is
furnished at the tip with a horny point, and also with four Or
five short bristle-like hairs on each side which are directed
backwards. At each side of the head of the bird, behind and
below the- external orifice of the ear, is a large and elongated
parotid gland, from which a membranous duct passes as fat
forwards as the point of union of the two bones, forming
together the lower mandible, on the inner surface of which
the glutinous secretion of these large glands passes, out, and
may be seen to issue on making slight pressure along the Course
of the glands. The flattened inner surface of the twa bones
which are united along thé distal part of their lower edgé,
forms the natural situation of the tongue when- at rost Vfithiri
the mandibles; and every time dt is drawn into the mouth
when the bird is feeding, it becomes covered with a fresh
supply of the glutinous mucus. From a close- examination
of the contents of the stomach of many Green Woodpeckers,
I am induced to believe that the point -of the tongue is not
used as a spear, nor the food taken up by the beak, unless
the subject, whatever it may happen to be, is too heavy, to be
lifted by adhesion.
Insects of various sorts,' ants, and their eggs, form the
principal food of the Green Woodpecker; and I have, seldom
had an opportunity of examining a recently killed specimen
the beak of which did not indicate, by the earth adhering to
the base, and to-the feathers about the nostrils, that the bird
had been at work at an ant-hill, and this species is therefore
more frequently seen on the ground than any other of our
Woodpeckers% it is said also to be a great enemy to bees..
Bechstein says that the Green Woodpecker will crack nuts. .
Another anatomical peculiarity remarkable in the skeleton
of the Woodpecker, but admirably adapted to the habits of
the bird, is the small size of the keel of the breast-bone.
Moderate powers of flight, sufficient to transport the bird
from tree to tree, are all that it seems to require ; large pectoral
muscles with a deep keel to the breast-bone would to
this bird be an inconvenience. The advantage of a narrow
shallow keel is immediately apparent, on looking at a representation
of the skeleton in a climbing position: the low keel
allowing the bird to place its body close to the tree, brings its
centre of gravity in a perpendicular line before the points of
support, and thus materially diminishes the labour of, and
the strain upon,-the muscles of the legs and thighs. The
descending .position of the bones ot the tail indicate the mode
by which the stiff points' of the tail-feathers are brought into
contact with the surface of the bark of the tree to form an
accessory prop.