28 BIRD WORLD. 



SO thick they have short points and can pick up very 

 small seeds. 



You see you can learn much about a bird's food by 

 examining his bill. You would not need to ask a 

 Sparrow or a Swallow what he would like to eat. But 

 if you made out a bird's bill of fare by his bill alone 

 you might make a very great mistake. 



Sometime perhaps you will read about the Toucan, 

 a handsome South American bird whose bill is as 

 thick as his body, and nearly as long. You would 

 expect him to crack Brazil nuts with ease, and would 

 be greatly surprised to see him in the forests of the 

 Amazon chattering with his comrades in the tops of 

 tall fruit trees, and holding in the end of his enor- 

 mous beak fruit no bigger than a cherry. 



Birds' beaks are like tools; some, you can guess at 

 once, are to be used for chiseling or digging; how 

 others are used it is harder to guess; and to under- 

 stand some we have to find the owner and watch him 

 at his work. 



