90 flint's natural history. [Book XI. 



one-horned and cloven-footed. The Indian ass 43 is the 

 only solid-hoofed animal that has pastern-bones. As to 

 swine, they are looked upon as a sort of mongrel race, with a 

 mixture of both kinds, and hence it is that their ankle-bones 

 are so misshapen. Those authors who have imagined that 

 man has similar pastern-bones, are easily to be confuted. The 

 lynx is the only one among the animals that have the feet 

 divided into toes, that has anything bearing a resemblance 

 to a pastern-bone ; while with the lion it is more crooked 

 still. The great pastern-bone is straight, and situate in the 

 joints of the foot ; it projects outwards in a convex protube- 

 rance, and is held fast in its vertebration by certain liga- 

 ments. 



CHAP. 107. (47.) THE FEET OF BIRDS. 



Among birds, some have the feet divided into toes, while 

 others, again, are broad and flatfooted — in others, which par- 

 take of the intermediate nature of both, the toes are divided, 

 with a wide space between them. All birds, however, have 

 four toes — three in front, and one on the heel ; this last, how- 

 ever, is wanting in some that have long legs. The iynx 44 is 

 the only bird that has two toes on each side of the leg. This 

 bird also protrudes a long tongue similar to that of the serpent, 

 and it can turn the neck quite round and look backwards ; it 

 has great talons, too, like those of the jackdaw. Some of the 

 heavier birds have spurs also upon the legs; but none of 

 those have them which have crooked talons as well. The 

 long-footed birds, as they fly, extend the legs towards the tail, 

 while those that have short legs hold them contracted close to 

 the middle of the body. Those authors who deny that there 

 is any bird without feet, assert that those even which are 

 called apodes, 45 are not without them, as also the oce, and the 

 drepanis, 46 which last is a bird but very rarely seen. Ser- 

 pents, too, have been seen with feet like those of the goose. 



43 The rhinoceros. 



44 Or wryneck. « See B. x. c. 5. 



46 Supposed to be the Hirundo apus of Linnaeus. Of the "oce" nothing 

 is known ; indeed, the reading is very doubtful. 



