A LITTLE TALK ON BIRDS’ TOES. 163 
is near enough akin to them to strike out very boldly 
for a few minutes. 
There are various gradations of the extent of the 
web along the toes or the fullness of its front margin 
between them. When it comes only half way up or 
thereabout on the front toes only, the foot is styled 
SEMIPALMATE; when it extends to the claws (though 
it may be cut back much between the toes) it is sim- 
ply Patmars, and when there is a membrane between 
all the toes, binding even the rear toe forward with 
the rest, the foot is said to be TorrpatmaTs, as seen 
only in the pelican forms. Some ducks, however, 
have a thin membrane hanging to the opposable and 
elevated rear toe, seemingly much as if it had been 
torn loose from the totipalmate form. 
Then there is the swimming foot that is shghtly 
palmate at its base, but has flaps upon the margins of 
the toes, as in gallinules, grebes, phalaropes, ete. In 
some of these the membranes are distinct, for each 
joint of the toe is lobed, while in others, as the 
grebes, the membranes are nearly straight-edged. In 
grebes the rear toe has also a membrane. This style 
of foot has the appearance of a palmate foot that has 
been split down part way between the toes, but it is 
much more likely that these membranous margins 
have been developed up. 
In fact, all swimming membranes are likely but 
simple and often recent developments of the skin on 
the margin of the toes necessarily flattened beneath 
by the bird’s weight. As they appear to be easily ac- 
quired and lost, it is not improbable that they have 
