CONTENTS. 



Page 

 INTRODUCTION 1 



CHAPTER I. Rank of Birds in the Animal Kingdom. 

 Tables of Classification. Directions for their appli- 

 cation 5 



CHAPTER II. Structure of Birds. External Structure. 

 Skeleton. Character of Beak. Bones, their lightness. 

 Solidity of Back-bone. Breast-bone, use of. Wing- 

 bones. Legs, peculiarities of. When resting on one 

 leg, why Birds do not fall 26 



CHAPTER III. Internal Structure. Digestive Organs. 

 Gullet, Crop, Stomach Adaptation of, to different habits 

 of Birds. Gastric Juice Its use and properties. Giz- 

 zard, its grinding powers. Respiration of Birds 44 



CHAPTER IV. Organs of Sound. Ducks, Crane, Goat- 

 Sucker, Bell-Bird, &c. Distance at which Sounds may 

 be heard. Plumage. Structure of Feathers. Goose- 

 Plucking. Summer and Winter Plumage 58 



CHAPTER V. Flight. Muscular power of Wings. Pecu- 

 liarity of, in different Birds Adapted to various habits. 

 Rapidity of motion, and rate of How calculated. Long 

 continuance of Flight accounted for. Migration, Causes 

 of Tendency of most Birds to wander at particular times 

 Why seldom seen in the act of Migrating Instinctive 

 power of finding their way 73 



