406 THE LIFE OF A BIRD. 



Our attention is next claimed by the bills of 

 birds ; of which it has been well said, that "a phi- 

 losopher need not go further than this instrument 

 in search of a proof how well the providence of 

 God fits the means to the ends." Unquestionably, 

 to the bird itself, or to the ornithologist seeking 

 to become acquainted with its habits, no part of 

 its structure is so important as this. The term 

 popularly applied to this part of the bird's struc- 

 ture is "bill" or "beak ;" and it may be useful to 

 mention that both signify at least the same part of 

 the bird, but they do not appear to be universally 

 understood as indicative of any difference in form. 

 The terms are incorrectly used indiscriminately for 

 all sorts of forms of the mouth of birds. A duck's 

 mouth is called popularly " a bill," an eagle's or a 

 parrot's, " a beak/' If we look into a bird's mouth 

 we find that it has no teeth, but in their place is 

 that hard and horny apparatus, which forms an 

 excellent substitute for these, to us, necessary 

 instruments. The jaw-bones of birds are thus 

 provided with this horny sheath, in order to 

 assist the bird in obtaining and crushing its 

 food. It may therefore be readily understood, that 

 its form and structure will vary according as 



