Show woodpeckers woodpecker and their ways way woodpeckers as aa a class form one of the most striking and easily distinguished groups of birds the entire family conforming to a certain type to a remarkable degree probably each of the three hundred species could be safely described as a vigorous muscular heavy bodied bird with long wings close fitting plumage and a strong stiletto sh shaped aped beak their legs and feet like those of the parrots cuckoos etc formerly placed in the same order are short and stout with the outer toe turned backward parallel with the hind toe as an aid in climbing in certain species however this outer toe is entirely wanting their peculiar method of gaining a livelihood has developed a tongue perfectly adapted to their requirements it la is pointed and barbed at the tip for securing the larger insects and is kept constantly coated with a mucous substance to which the smaller ones adhere at the back of the mouth it divides and passing each side of neck at the base of the skull to Is carried up over the top of the head where the two portions join and are inserted in the right nostril in the common hairy woodpecker and possibly some others lt it curves downward and is wound about the bony case which protects the right eye the latter ing more than the left for itz its accommodation mo dation this double bow enables the bird to shoot upward and cont contract riLet the barbed tip with wonderful velocity while the mucus is applied each time from two large glands at each side of the throat Apple tons popular science monthly tor for july |