999 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 
all waders and swimmers behind, and had better look 
closely at your specimen. You may find vestiges of 
webs between the toes in the fowls and birds of prey 
especially, but other things will show you that the 
bird is not aquatic, such as the feathered legs, just 
mentioned. From this on webs are vestigial and not 
considered. 
(21) Now, if the shank is evidently sharp-edged 
in the rear, or if the hind claw be straight and much 
longer than the front ones, or if the foot is ordinary 
and there are bristles at the gape combined with a 
length of rear toe and its claw that is not less than 
that of the inner toe and its claw, then pass on to 
paragraph (44). 
But if the feet have two toes only before, or the 
outer and middle toes bound together for halfway ; 
if the toes are armed with terrible talons and have 
warty pads under each joint; if the beak is strongly 
hooked in connection with any toe peculiarities; if 
the nostrils open into each other so they may be seen 
through (i. e., perforate), or if they open under soft 
swollen fleshy flaps, or through or at the edge of a flat 
(feathered or naked) membrane, called a cere, stretched 
across the beak at the forehead; if the gape is deep 
and wide, with the bill short on top, combined with 
either a shank that is round in the rear or with a hind 
toe and claw whose combined length is less than that 
of the inner toe and claw; or if the bird is small and 
brilliant, with insectlike flight or with a beak like a 
large needle, then you may stop here. 
(22) If the hind toe is strikingly elevated and 
