258 FACULTIES OF BIRDS. 



Dr. Drummond well remarks, " there is no imper- 

 fection in this, for the air and not the ground is the 

 bird's place of abode."* The peculiar conformation 

 of the foot distinguishes the swift from the swal- 

 lows, and, indeed, from all other known birds ; for 

 though some species have the power of turning one 

 of their toes either before or behind, none but the 

 swift can turn all the four toes of the foot forward. 

 The least toe, also, which, following the analogy of 

 other birds, should be the back one, consists only 

 of a single bone, while the other three toes have 

 only two bones each; a structure adapted to the 

 habit of the bird of clinging with ease to the per- 

 pendicular face of walls, and rocks, and eaves of 

 nouses, aided by its strong, sharp, hooked claws. 

 Even when the swift is placed upon the ground it 

 cannot walk, according to White, but only crawl. f 

 The feet in swallows, though not quite so short 

 as in the swift, are very small, because its pre- 

 scribed habits t do not require them to be large. In 

 the capture of its prey, for example, it does not 

 employ its feet, and, to use the words of Dr. Drum- 

 mond, it does not require them to be in any partic- 

 ular position, " as in water-birds, since it neither 

 dives nor swims, it does not want long legs like the 

 heron, for it has not to obtain its food by wading 

 and patiently watching for it ; neither has it occa- 

 sion for the strong and powerful feet and claws of 

 the bird of prey, because it needs no instruments for 

 grasping. In fact, the great requisite in the foot of 

 the swallow is, that it shall be formed without those 

 qualifications which are such wise provisions in the 

 feet of most other birds, for what is a perfection in 

 them would be an imperfection in it. Its legs are 

 extremely short, and the whole foot disproportion- 

 ately small and delicate : this forms the perfection 

 of the swallow's foot ; and in it we may recognise 



* Letters to a Young Naturalist, p. 218. 

 t Selborne, Lett. 61. 



