420 



THE BIRDS 



Ostriches easily take twenty-five feet in a stride and travel more than 

 twenty-five miles an hour. The tale about burying the head in the sand 

 to escape detection seems to have no foundation in fact. They lay a 

 single egg which will weigh about three pounds and requires forty-five 

 days' incubation for hatching. 



Photo by 



in: hestei 



Fig. 27.11. The ostrich. One of the large flightless birds that depends on its running 

 speed rather than flight to escape its enemies. When cornered it can deliver a powerful 



kick with its strong legs. 



The Woodpeckers. It would be hard to believe that any bird had a 

 bill sharp enough and a head and neck strong enough to dig holes in 

 solid wood if we did not actually see it. The woodpeckers are very well 

 adapted to this activity. The feet have sharp claws that can cling to 

 slight outgrowths of bark and the tail is held against the tree for firm 

 support, while the long sharp bill is driven into the wood with a very 

 rapid series of blows, similar to an air hammer digging into concrete. 

 Most woodpeckers are beneficial because their pecking is done in search 

 of insects that are boring through the wood. The tongue, well adapted 

 for getting the insects, is long and bears a barb on the tip, so that it can 



