16 INTRODUCTION. 



been borrowed from others, at least must have been lent by the 

 bounteous hand of Nature. 



For clearness and simplicity I have divided the birds into the 

 two broadly defined divisions — Land Birds and Water Birds; 

 these again into five well-defined classes or orders, which, as 

 they correspond in number to the fingers and thumb of the 

 hand, will be the readier borne in mind. These are the 

 Raptores, or tearers ; the Insessoi'es, or perchers ; the Basores, 

 or scrapers ; the Gralatores, or waders ; and the Natatore.% or 

 swimmers and divers. I shall use British or local names in pre- 

 ference to Latin ones, as a living language is easier understood 

 than a dead one ; and, purposely, treat the subject so as not only 

 to teach, but to invite my readers to follow me in our interesting 

 study. Therefore it would be out of place to give minute 

 details of their various organs, so perfectly adapted by Nature 

 to their different habits of life, especially when there are so many 

 more strictly scientific works on the subject. For instance, the 

 bill is a great teacher, and tells to what class of bird it belongs. 

 The Raptores, such as the eagles, falcons, hawks or harriers, 

 have a notched tooth and scissor-like edges to cut their fleshy 

 prey. Those which feed on worms and grubs, such as thrushes 

 and larks, have soft bills, merely to pull out and swallow. 

 Those which live on insects, such as the swallows, fly-catchers, 

 wagtails, &c, have theirs small and pointed. The huskers or 

 sheilers, which live on seeds and grain, such as the buntings, 

 sparrows, finches, and linnets, have theirs strong for sheiling ; 

 those of the creepers and woodpeckers are long, for pecking 

 insects out of the bark of trees. Ducks and geese have theirs 

 broad and serrated for sifting water. Herons and oyster-catchers 

 have theirs also long for seizing their finny or shelly prey. But 

 all birds may be classed by the structure of the bill alone. 



Mr Selby seems to have taken the same view, for he says — 

 " With respect to organic structure, both external and internal, 

 and the necessary adaptation of its several parts to peculiar 

 habits of life, I would recommend an attentive perusal of the 

 works of Cuvier, especially his ' Regni Anaimal ; ' those of 

 Buffon ; and the ' Philosophy of Zoology ' of Dr Fleming, as 

 well as the writings of Messrs Vigors and Swainson, in all of 

 which these general heads of the science are most ably discussed. 

 Derham's 'Physics Theology' and the 'Natural Theology' of 

 Dr Paley follow the others in such natural progression, by 

 leading the mind to a deeper interest in this pleasing branch of 

 science, that they ought not to be omitted. These works are 



