Beaks and Bills 



241 



permanently bent to the right, a beautiful adaptation 

 to help the bird in its search for insects, which, in the 

 dry country that it inhabits, are found almost entirely 

 under stones. 



As a rule, beaks are rather immovable throughout 

 their length, but in the woodcock, and to a less extent 



Fig. 185.— Bill of Crook-billed Plover, for probing under stones. 



in the Dowitcher Snipe, the extremity of the upper man- 

 dible can be raised some distance (Figs. 159, 160). This 

 extreme sensitiveness is especially necessar}^, as the eyes 

 of the woodcock are placed very far back on the top 

 of its head, and are of little or no use in seeking food. 



What an interesting study the various beaks of land 

 birds would offer, were we able to devote to them the 



