CHAPTER XXXIII ANIMAL TRAITS 



prey; no tool could be made to answer the purpose better. 

 The curlew's long curved bill is also a perfect implement 

 for worming out the sea-slugs, which it extracts from the 

 wet sands. 



The birds that live chiefly on the insects and water- 

 plants which are found in swamps and muddy places have 

 their feet of great size and length, which enables them to 

 walk and run over muddy and soft places without sink- 

 ing.The water-hen and water-rail, indeed, often run along 

 the floating leaves of the water-plants without bearing 

 them down by their weight. The bald coot, too, a bird that 

 lives almost wholly in muddy places, has its feet and toes 

 formed purposely for running on a soft surface. How dif- 

 ferent from the strongly retractile talons of the hawk and 

 owl, made purposely to seize and hold their strugglingprey. 



Thus also the beak of these carnivorous birds is formed 

 for tearing and rending, while the strong wedge-shaped 

 mandibles of the raven and carrion-crow are the best pos- 

 sible implements for the half-digging, half-cutting work 

 which they are called upon to perform in devouring the 

 dead carcasses of large animals. The goosander and mer- 

 ganser, who feed principally on small eels and fish, have a 

 row of teeth-like projections inside their bill, which, slant- 

 ing inwards, admits of the easy entrance of their slippery 

 prey, but effectually prevents its escape; while the cormo- 

 rant, whose food consists of larger fish, instead of these 

 numerous teeth has a strong curved beak, well fitted for 

 holding the strongest sea-trout or haddock. Put your finger 

 into the bill of a common duck, and you will see how easily 

 it goes in, but how difficult it is to draw it out again, in 

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