440 Bl 



membrane ; but unless there is another action besides 

 walking to be performed, the difference of structure 

 in the feet is not, in the case of winged birds, very 

 great, whether they walk on the earth, or wade in 

 shallow water over surfaces of the same kind. 



Feet for walking on grassy surfaces. These have 

 the three front toes free to their bases, and the hind 

 toe articulated on the same level. The claws long, 

 the hind one especially, but not much bent. These 

 feet extend over a large base, and the elasticity of 

 the grass assists the bird in jerking upwards till it can 

 take wing. The foot of the skylark is an instance. 



Sky-lark. 



Feet for walking upon aquatic plants have the toes 

 very long, and the birds which have them can gene- 

 rally swim. The common gallinule, or water-hen, is 

 an instance of this form of foot. 



RD. 



state of nature. They also scrape the ground with 

 their feet, not only to lay bare seeds, worms, insects, 

 and other substances upon which they feed, but to 

 detach the small pebbles which they swallow to 

 assist the gizzard in the process of digestion. The 

 nails to adapt them for this operation, are rather 

 bro id and concave on their under sides. 



These feet are all of the same general form, three 

 toes before, and one behind, the front ones generally 

 united by short membranes at their bases. The par- 

 tridges have the membrane extending as far as the 

 first articulation from the base, and in one South 

 American genus, the hoazin, which is more aquatic 

 than the others, the connecting membrane of the toes 

 is altogether wanting. Some have the toes with tu- 

 berculated margins, and others have them smooth ; 

 but it does not appear that there is any particular 

 difference of habit, for the smooth and rough toed 

 ones indiscriminately perch or "roost" during the 

 night, though they generally nestle on the ground. 

 Those which roost have the feet stouter and the toes 

 longer than those which squat on the ground ; but 

 those which squat are the swiftest runners. In gene- 

 ral, however, their walk is slow, and in some it is 

 stately. They always walk or run, and never hop, or 

 raise both feet from the ground at once, unless when 

 they are alarmed ; and then, if they do not get fairly 

 on the wing, they flutter, and lose command of them- 

 selves. The foot of the common domestic fowl is 

 an average instance. 



Gallinule. 



Some of the foreign birds of the same group 

 (Macrodactyli) have the toes much longer in propor- 

 tion. The length of the toes enables these birds to 

 walk tolerably well, though the legs are articulated 

 so far back as to give them the position of those of a 

 swimming bird ; and while all the species inhabit 

 closer to the water than any other birds which have 

 not the feet webbed, some of them have the toes 

 lobed, and are excellent swimmers, though even these 

 are most partial to those places of ponds and lakes 

 in which there are aquatic plants. There is an 

 instance of the lobed form in the foot of the common 

 coot 



Common Coot. 



Walking and scraping feet. These are more pecu- 

 liarly the feet of the gallinaceous birds, all of which 

 walk slo r vly on the ground, or standing on tha* reach 

 the seeds of herbaceous plants, when they teed in a 



Common Fowl. 



Some have the tarsi plain, some with a soft tubercle, 

 and some with a hard and sharp horny spur. These 

 naturally belong to the males only ; but, from phy- 

 siological causes, they are sometimes produced on 

 females. 



Feet for walking and perching. The feet of the 

 omnivorous birds are generally of this description, and 

 also most of those of the granivorous as all of them 

 feed on the ground at some seasons, and most of them 

 perch occasionally. The foot has three toes before, 

 and one behind, all articulated on the same level, and 

 divided at their bases. This is not so firm a foot upon 

 the ground as that of the gallinaceous birds ; and tho 

 march of none of them is so stately as that of some of 

 these. The axis of the body rolls more when they 

 walk ; and many of them, when urged to speed, hop, 

 and also call in the aid of their wings. 



