20 LOVE S MEtNIE. 



but even if often seen, his dim red breast was little likelv 

 to make much impression on the Greeks, who knew the 

 flamingo, and had made it, under the name of Phoenix or 

 Phoenicoptorus, the centre of their myths of scarlet birds. 

 They broadly embraced the general aspect of the smaller 

 and more obscure species, under the term ^ovdo<i, which, 

 as I understand their use of it, exactly implies the in- 

 describable silky brown, the groundwork of all other 

 colour in so many small birds, which is indistinct among 

 green leaves, and absolutely identifies itself with dead 

 ones, or with mossy stems. 



19. I think I show it you more accurately in the robin's 

 back than I could in any other bird ; its mode of tran- 

 sition into more brilliant colour is, in him, elementarily 

 simple ; and although there is nothing, or rather because 

 there is nothing, in his plumage, of interest like that of 

 tropical birds, or even of our own game-birds, I think it 

 will be desirable for you to learn first from the breast 

 of the robin what a feather is. Once knowing that, 

 thorouo-hlv, we can further learn from the swallow what 

 a wing is ; from the chough what a beak is ; and from the 

 falcon what a claw is. 



I must take care, however, in neither of these last two 

 particulars, to do injustice to our little English friend 

 here ; and before we come to his feathers, must ask you 

 to look at his bill and his feet. 



20. 1 «1() not think it is distinctly enough felt by us that 

 the beak of a bird is not only its mouth, but its hand, or 



