. Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting. Birds; Reptiles. 478 SCANSOEES, OE CLIMBEES. has recourse to its strong beak: striking tke tree with redoubled blows, it cuts the bark, breaks an opening, and seizes the coveted prey. It often also strikes with its beak to sound the tree, and assure itself that there is no cavity in the interior which would serve as a refuge for its prey. If the trunk is hollow, it examines all parts to find the entrance to the cavity. When it has dis- covered it, it introduces i
. Reptiles and birds. A popular account of the various orders; with a description of the habits and economy of the most interesting. Birds; Reptiles. 478 SCANSOEES, OE CLIMBEES. has recourse to its strong beak: striking tke tree with redoubled blows, it cuts the bark, breaks an opening, and seizes the coveted prey. It often also strikes with its beak to sound the tree, and assure itself that there is no cavity in the interior which would serve as a refuge for its prey. If the trunk is hollow, it examines all parts to find the entrance to the cavity. When it has dis- covered it, it introduces its tongue; and if the canal is not large enough to permit it to explore the hiding-place with suc- cess, it increases the size of the aperture. It is not only to seek for food that Woodpeckers make holes in trees, but also to establish their nests. Some species, it is true, select the anfractuosities which they find, but others hollow out their resting- places according to their tastes. When such is the case, they inspect soft-wood trees, such as the beech, aspen, &c., to ascertain those that are decayed in the interior. When they have made their choice, the male and female peck the bark off the tree by turns, and do not cease to labour till they have reached the decayed portion. The cavity which they bore is generally so oblique and so deep that perfect darkness must surround them. It is doubt- less a measure of security against the little mammals, especially the rodents, the natural enemies of their family. The female deposits her eggs upon a bed of moss or the dust of worm- eaten wood. The young birds grow slowly, and receive in the nest the care of their parents for a long time. In general they have little voice, or only utter disagreeable cries. At breeding- time they frequently employ a language peculiar to them-. Fig. 197.—Leseer Spoiled Woodpeckers {Picus tmncfr, Gould).. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digit
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecad, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectreptiles
