Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-09-15
THE WOODPECKER.

Of all the birds that earn their livino
by toll, perhaps none work as hard as
the family of woodpeckers. From
morning to night they are busy as busy
can be, boring into trees in pursuit OF
insects for food, or chiseling out holes
for the purpose of making their nests,
and often during the night, when not at
work. they sleep in the same painful
posture they take during the labors OF
the day.
Have you ever heard this wonderful
bird work? You have seen a man drill
ING hole in a rock am sure, and YOU
have also heard the sound of his tool,
with its click, click, click. Now the
woodpecker has drill that he works
with in the same way, and what do Won
think it is? Nothing but his little bill,
so made that he can drill holes in the
trees, and you can hear the sound of his
tool just as you do that of the blaster of
rocks.
If you were here among the beautiful
hills and valleys. you would find plenty
otwoodpeckers, and they are all carving
on these mysterious knockings, many
times repeated. and very quickly, too.
Yo9 would be surprised, too, that any
birds so small could make themselves
heard so distinctly, often at distance
of several hundred yards, working for
two hours together upon the same tree.
They seek trees that are decayed in
the trunk and branches, because wise
little birds know well that insects are
seldom found in live wood.
But how about the queer instrument
that performs this arduous work? 1t is
a curious continuance enough, more
like chisel than anything else, it is
hard and solid, too, and is worked by
powerful muscles, which act upon the
neck and direct its incessant blows.
sometimes penetrating even to the pith
of the wood.
But wonderful as this instrument is.
there is yet another inside of it more
curious, on purpose for pulling out the
worm or insect it finds in drillinp-a
very long, straight tongue, which ends
in hard. bony point like a needle or
thorn. This is arranged with sharp
teeth. pointing backward, very much
like the barbs of fish-hook. Is this
not curious arrangement? two instru-
mentS in one
But how can the bird manage to use
them both at the same time? Let us
see. While the woodpecker is busy at
his drilling, the two parts of his bill are
closed tightly together, making a good
wedge-pointed drill, and at the same
time snug cage for the insect catcher.
As soon as he comes to an insect, he
opens this drill and pushes this long
tongue with its barbed end into the in
sect and quickly draws it into its mouth.
Now, because he has to strike so hard
in drilling, the bones of his head or
skull are made much stronger and
thicker than most birds, for you know
that such heavy blows would jar them
too much if they were weak heads.
And God knew all this when He made
the woodpecker, and provided for it.
Not only that, but in doing this hard
drilling he must hold on tightly and
firmly, or he would slip, as soon as he
began to work, and here is a provision,
too-he has given him most singular
claw, consisting of four thick toes, two
turned forward and two backward, the
one resembling spear, being longest
and stQutest, and joined 70 a very short
and muscular foot, which enables the
bird to cling very firmly. and creep
In all directions around the trunks of
trees.
His tail. too, with its ten stiff quilts
bent inwards and ending in stiff. hard
points, is used as sort of rest, when
ne is employed in an uncomfortable po-
sition.
About the last of May the woodpeck-
ers prepare to build their nests. They
have a good deal of hard word to do
beforehand. The male bird takes the
first steps by cutting hole out of the
solid wood as round as if done by pair