228 THE STORY OF THE BIRDS. 
Goatsuckers have the middle toe unusually long 
and the others short. Swifts tend to have the rear 
toe elevated and grasp- 
ing sidewise. Hum- 
° | 

Head and tail feathers of a swift. Head of humming bird. 
ming birds have typical perching feet, and except in 
appearance they are not easily distinguished from 
Passeres by any external trait, except that they have 
only six secondaries, 
while all true per- 
_ chers have more. 
(45) But if none 
of these fit your bird, 
Head and foot of a true lark. you will find that it 
has, with a normal, unwebbed foot, either a shank 
sharp in the rear, the edge being formed by the meet- 
ing of the two smooth plates on the sides; or else the 
shank is round in the 
rear and the hind toe 
has a long straight claw 


Z (true lark); or the shank 
is round and the bill is 
rather short and_ flat- 
SS — _ £ tened, with very notice- 
able bristles at the cor- 
Broad beak and bristles of flycatcher ners of the mouth, and 
—a round shanked percher. combined with this the 
