ABOUT BIRDS' TOES. 



THE animals in Wonderland, you remember, were 

 always very much surprised that Alice was not 

 constructed just as they were themselves; in fact they 

 seemed rather to look down upon her because she 

 was different. 



If Alice had met a large number of our North 

 American birds, I think they would have been very 

 scornful about the uselessness of her toes. We may 

 think of them as saying, " What can you do with 

 them.^" 



" Can you catch fish or mice ? " " No ! " Then 

 the hawks and owls would have turned their backs. 



" Of course you can climb with them ? " " No." 



Then the woodpeckers would have nothing 

 more to say. 



A fat duck would waddle up and comfort 

 her by saying that she 

 thought climbing perfectly 

 absurd and dangerous as 

 well. " But of course your 

 toes are webbed to help you 

 swim," she might add. If you were Alice, you would 

 have to confess that you could not swim very well 



Fig. 



— Duck's Foot. 



