278 LETTER XL1V. 



Amidst the immensity of nature's works, and the 

 endless varieties, displayed in the world of life, there 

 is not perhaps, my dear Sir, a more evident proof of 

 design, or a more conspicuous display of infinite Wis- 

 dom, in the adaptation of means to ends, and of ani- 

 mal mechanism to a specific purpose, than is exhi- 

 bited in the internal and external conformation of the 

 last described class of birds, and of those whom we 

 are now about to survey. In order to raise our minds 

 to the admiration of the great Creator, whose works 

 are the index of his attributes, let us, my dear Sir, for 

 a moment indulge a laudable curiosity in the exami- 

 nation of this interesting subject. 



In our general remarks on the volatile race, we 

 have already observed the wonderful coincidence be- 

 tween their conformation and the mode of life to 

 which they are destined. In birds of the rapacious 

 kind we have seen that the form and strength of their 

 beaks and claws, their fiercener.s of disposition, and 

 all their ferocious propensities, evidently pointed out 

 their destination; arid in the gallinaceous, or poultry 

 kind, we shall discover ihe same exhibition of an all- 

 wise design. These are without the hooked bills and 

 formidable talons of the bird of prey, and their inter- 

 nal conformation admits of a still more curious and 

 important distinction. In the rapacious kind, diges- 

 tion is carried on by means of a liquid in the stomach, 

 \vhich dissolve the aliment. In those which feed on 

 grain the gizzard is the principal inurnment that 

 grinds and reduces it to pulp. The wings of the 

 poultry kind are short and not calculated for a long 

 flight, which prevents them from wandering, and im- 

 pels them to seek for happiness at home. Their bills, 

 which are incapable of annoyance or destruction,' are 

 perfectly adapted to their manner of feeding. Their 

 toes are made for scratching up seeds or grain, but not 

 for tearing to pieces animal food. As the predaceous 

 tribes are formed for war and depredation, these arc 

 equally fitted for peace, accordingly their contentions 

 are trivial, and, excepting the cock, we seldom find 

 -them engaged in violent disputes. They art 1 also 



