WAR AND. WEAPONS AMONG THE BIRDS. 61 
very effective against his bellicose fellow who accepts 
this style of battle, it places him much at the merey 
of other outside enemies, as a leopard or wolf. Ex- 
pert use of these special means of fighting in others 
are very effective, however, as instanced in the wild 
hog, rhinoceros, and horned cattle. Still, the evidence 
is that the weapons and styles were developed while 
fighting rivals—the result of some apparently peculiar 
agreed-upon style of battle. For instance, victory in 
some lizards consists in throwing the rival upon his 
back, whereupon he at once yields the palm; and it 
would not be at all strange if a kind of hook for 
effecting this topsy-turvy movement should develop 
upon their snouts. 
The lowest bird now living that is specially armed 
is the cassowary among the ostrich forms, which, be- 
sides having the inner toe elongated and armed with 
a long straight claw, has the shortened and otherwise 
useless wing quills converted into spines. These it 
uses effectively against all enemies. But it is more 
likely that this latter form is a very special and com- 
paratively modern weapon, since it is not found else- 
where. 
Besides the special arming of beak and toe, the 
lowest special weapon is doubtless the wing spur, 
brought about by a very natural use of striking with 
the wing in battles among the males. Even the very 
low fossil divers show its probable existence upon 
their wings while they yet had teeth. That it is a 
special development within the species is shown by its 
many different locations on the wing in different birds. 
