262 GOATSUCKER. 



this one cannot alter the form of its claws while per- 

 forming this operation. It must, to use a homely 

 phrase, scratch itself with such claws as it has ; and 

 as no bird appears to have claws specially formed for 

 this secondary purpose, the analogy is against such 

 being the principal intention of this toothing of the 

 claw of these birds. 



Upon looking back at the figure of the goat-sucker's 

 bill, it will be perceived to be very fi&sirostral ; and 

 that, though it might be capable of transfixing a tough 

 coated insect with the sharp points of the mandibles, 

 it cannot bruise any thing between the tomia. The 

 sharp points are obviously for capture ; for thougli 

 there are vibrissae along the edge of the upper man- 

 dible, there are similar hairs at the junction of the 

 upper mandible with the front, where they cannot by 

 any possibility assist in the capture of the prey, and 

 there are also similar bristles at the base of the bill in 

 many birds which do not catch insects or any thing 

 else with the bill while they fly open-mouthed ; so 

 that it is at least probable that while the coleopterous 

 insect is seized and held between the hard and sharp 

 points of the mandibles, the parts that are unfit for 



food are stripped off by the pectenated claw of the 

 foot, which is certainly borne less bended, or in 

 advance of the other claws. The preceding figure 

 is an accurate representation of the foot of this bird. 



