120 THE STORY OF BIRD-LIFE. 



our plover this is rarely or never the case, 

 there being only swollen knobs in the place of 

 spurs. Two very rare and ancient forms of 

 geese, known as the chauna, and the horned 

 screamer of South America, have the wings armed 

 with huge spurs. So also does the African 

 spur-winged goose, Pledropterus. These spurs, 

 it should be mentioned, are bony outgrowths 

 capped with horn, seated on the wrist bones, 

 or the metacarpal bones, and are quite distinct 

 from claws with which they are often con- 

 founded. 



CHAPTER YII. 



FAMILY CARES — BUILDING THE HOME. 



With the birds, as with ourselves, during the 

 period of courtship, more or less public protesta- 

 tions of affection, undying devotion, and fidelity 

 are freely made, but like cheques we can only 

 prove their genuineness at a later date. 



The pure, sweet, full-throated songster proves 

 himself, when the time of trial comes, to be in 

 every way equal to the highest that could be 

 expected of him. Of one who sings so sweetly, 

 we look for great things. With silver-tongued 

 melody he wins his mate, and with the same 

 charm he soothes her during the peri..! of 

 incubation; but when called upon to face the 

 sterner work of life in providing food for some 

 five or six ever-hungry mouths he puts away 

 his music and joins his mate in satisfying their 



