A WINGED CHUM i6i 



*^The way I make it out, every bird has got 

 five titles of his own. 



*'His first title belongs to his Order. This 

 seems to be worked out from the bird's skeleton 

 and his inside make-up, so that birds may be re- 

 lated which look quite different. A Woodcock and 

 an Oyster-Catcher don't look much alike, but 

 they're in the same Order. The Northern Raven, 

 bigger than a Hawk and nearly as big as an Eagle, 

 belongs to the same Order as the little Marsh 

 Wren, who, from beak to tail, isn't any longer than 

 the palm of your hand." 



' ' How can a Raven an ' a Wren be related ! ' ' ex- 

 claimed Bull, contemptuously; "that's just non- 

 sense. There ain 't a thing similar to 'em. ' ' 



**Well," said Shan, taking the book and thumb- 

 ing the pages, "they're both Perching Birds. 

 They've both got four toes, all on a level, three 

 before and one behind, the hind toe being as long 

 as the middle one, with a strong toe-nail. The feet 

 are not webbed. They've got exactly twelve 

 feathers in the tail. Their skeleton is made up in 

 the same way, and their young are born in the 

 same condition. That makes them perching 

 birds." 



"All birds perch," said the pot-hunter. 



