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CHAPTER II. 



STRUCTURE OF BIRDS. 



External Structure.— Skeleton.— Character of Beak.— Bones, their 

 Lightness. — Solidity of Backbone. — Breastbone, Use of. — Wing-bones. 

 — Legs, Peculiarities of. — When resting on one Leg. — Why Birds do 

 not fall. 



We shall now proceed to give a few details concerning the 

 structure and peculiarity of their forms and characters. 



In examiniug the skele- 

 ton, we find the head ter- 

 minating in a beak, com- 

 posed of a horny substance, 

 in form and structure and 

 hardness as intimately con- 

 nected with the habits and 

 general character of the 

 bird, as jaws and teeth are 

 with those of man and 

 other animals. Thus in 

 Eagles, Hawks, and all 

 birds which tear their prey, 

 as well as in Parrots, which 

 have to bruise hard sub- 

 stances, or procure their 

 food by piercing the bark 

 of trees, as Woodpeckers, 

 he bill is extremely hard 

 and powerful. Whereas in 



Skeleton of a Vulture. thoge whicn f eed Qn wormS) 



and substances equally soft, or live by suction, or swallow 



