Feet and Legs 383 



cock Pheasant of the East Indies, has two, three, or even 

 four spurs of full size on the legs. The bird photographed 

 on page 419 had two on the right leg and three on the 

 left. Yet these birds are not as correspondingly pug- 

 nacious as we should imagine from their increased arma- 

 ture. 



There is a small group of peculiar birds, known as 

 Sand-grouse, which in many respects stand midway 



Fig. 300. — Spur of Java Peacock. 



between the true grouse and the pigeons. In certain of 

 these the toes, to their very tips, are encased in the skin 

 of the foot, the effect bemg of a mitten with only the 

 claws free. The reason for this is yet to be found. 



We now come to the water-loving birds, and we find 

 that their varying associations with this element have 

 wrought many interesting changes in their feet and legs. 

 Those birds w^hich are content to wade along the shallow 

 margins of ponds and streams require long legs and long 



