270 STUDY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



is a swan upon dry land. True it is that all parrots 

 are not so formed ; or rather there are some which, 

 still possessing the same character of feet as those 

 just mentioned, have them so modified and altered, 

 that they can not only walk with perfect ease, but 

 habitually frequent the ground in preference to 

 other situations. It is curious and instructive to 

 see how nature has effected the difficult object of 

 giving to a scansorial foot the facilities of a walking 

 one, without impairing the essential character of 

 the family to which these ground parrakeets belong. 

 On looking to the feet of the generality of parrots, 

 it will be observed that the claws are particularly 

 strong, broad, and well curved ; so that when the 

 foot is placed upon the ground, the tips of the 

 claws touch, or come in contact with, its surface. 

 Now much walking would soon wear away their 

 points, as we see it does in those of gallinaceous 

 birds ; and this, to birds which climb, and use their 

 claws for that purpose, would be a serious injury. 

 But on examining the foot of a ground parrakeet 

 (Pezoporus formosus 111.), we see, indeed, the same 

 general disposition of the toes ; that is, two before, 

 and two behind; but the legs are higher, more 

 slender, and therefore better adapted for walking : 

 the claws, moreover, are formed upon quite a dif- 

 ferent principle ; instead of being thick and hooked, 

 like talons, they are long, slender, and very slightly 

 curved, so that when the bird walks, or (as we 

 suspect) runs, on the ground, the points do not 

 come into contact with the surface, which they un- 

 questionably would do were their curve greater 

 than it really is. From this peculiar conformation 



