THE EQUIVALENTS OF THE HAND. Ill 



baleen, or whalebone, ranged in close array 

 along the upper jaw. The tongue of the 

 species is very thick, fleshy, soft, fat, and 

 spongy, and occupies a large portion of the 

 cavity of the mouth ; it sometimes measures 

 upwards of twenty feet in length, and eight or 

 nine in width ; its mobihty is very restricted, 

 the tip not being free ; nevertheless it is pro- 

 bably from some peculiar sensibility which it 

 possesses, that the animal knows when to 

 strain the water off, and swallow the myriads 

 ingulfed. 



So far among mammalia have' we shown in 

 what portions of the frame the sense of touch, 

 and often of prehension also, are seated, when 

 removed by the necessities of structural modi- 

 fications, from the hand or anterior extremity. 

 We have next to investigate in what degree 

 birds possess this sense, and where it is seated 

 in these feather-clad animals. 



It does not appear to us that birds generally 

 possess the sense of touch in anything like per- 

 fection. Sight and hearing are their most 

 exalted senses, and to these they especially 

 trust. They test nothing by feeling, nor is 

 there need that they should, though to this 

 rule there are certain exceptions. Birds, 



