THE BEAK. 



35 



The Pelican. 



The Pelican's beak is also very large, and the under 

 jaw or mandible furnished with a vast pouch, in which it 

 can convey a considerable supply of food for its young. 

 The Avoset, a bird of the wading tribe, which collects 

 its food in shallow water, or moist sandy places, has 

 a very different sort of beak of singular construction, 

 resembling flexible flat pieces of whalebone, and not 

 bending downwards as is usually the case, but turning 

 upwards ; with this it scoops up spawn, worms, or other 

 soft water insects. One other beak only shall be men- 

 tioned, namely, that of the Spoonbill, which, in its 

 food, partaking of the nature of the Heron and Duck 

 tribes, is provided accordingly; its interior part being 

 furnished with rough projections which prevent the escape 

 of such slippery things as small fish, while its wide 

 spoon-shaped end enables it to crush and sift mud and 

 weeds for worms or soft vegetable matter. 



The bones of birds, like those of animals, are for the 

 most part white, but in other respects they differ mate- 



D 2 



