BEAKS AND THEIR USES. 



1. The Natal Knorhaan {Otis barrowii) digs among the roots of grasses and 



shrubs on the veld for insects and their larvae. 



2. The Flamingo {Pkcenicopterus roseus) has a bill wonderfully adapted for 



digging and sifting the slime and mud of Lagoons for Crustacea and 

 mollusca. 



3. The Cape Shoveller Duck {Spatula capensis) shovels and sifts the mud 



and aquatic vegetation for snails, which are the hosts of the liver 

 fluke in sheep and Bilharzia in man. 



4. The Ethiopian Snipe {Gallinago nigripennis) bores into the soft mud of 



marshes for worms and aquatic insects. 



5. The Curlew {Numenius arquatus) probes in the mud for its food, which 



consists of the various small creatures which live therein. 



13 



