20 BIRDS OF FIELD, FOREST AND PARK 



they use like drills for boring deep into the soft 

 earth for worms and insects. Cranes and Her- 

 ons have long, sharp bills well adapted for use 

 in catching frogs, toads and small fish. Wood- 

 peckers for the most part live on grubs and in- 

 sects hidden in the bark and in the interior of 

 dead trees; therefore they are provided with 

 bills for cutting like chisels; they are the car- 

 penters of the woods. Their feet, with two toes 

 ahead and two behind, are perfectly adapted to 

 clinging to the vertical trunk, and the stiff 

 spines of their tail feathers make excellent props 

 to support them at their work. Humming Birds 

 have very long, slender bills which make excel- 

 lent probes to reach far into the interior of 

 flowers for the nectar, and insects imprisoned 

 there. The seed eaters, like Sparrows, Finches 

 and Bobolinks, have short, thick bills, just 

 right for cracking the shell of the seed. Cone 

 eaters, like the Crossbills, have the most pecul- 

 iar bills of all. When closed, the points shut by 

 each other as though misshapen; hence the 

 name. But when opened for use they make a 

 most excellent implement for tearing apart the 

 cones. In fact, a more perfect instrument for 

 their needs could scarcely be devised. 



Thus we see in the various families great dif- 

 ference in the size and shape of the several 

 parts. But usually the purpose is evident upon 

 a little investigation, and it will be seen that the 

 size and shape of bill, legs and wings is that best 

 adapted to the special use made of it by the 

 various species. Surely Mother Nature is a wise 

 and skillful architect who never does anything 



