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catching and holding their prey ; and to others, ia 

 climbing, and in taking and comminuting their food.* 

 Its extraordinary length and slenderness is of use to 

 some, to search for their food in moorish places :t 

 as its length and breadth is to others, to hunt and 

 search in muddy places. J The contrary form, a 

 thick, short, and sharp-edged bill is as useful to all 

 other birds, who must husk the grain they swallow. 

 But it would be endless to reckon up all the shapes 

 and commodious mechanism of all : the sharpness and 

 strength of those that have occasion to perforate woods 

 and shells , the slenderness and neatness of such 

 as pick up small insects : the cross form of such as 

 break up fruits ; || the compressl'd** form of others, 



* Parrots have their bills nicely adapted to thesfc services, being 

 hooked, for climbing and reaching what they want, and the lower 

 jaw so exactly fitted to the hook of the upper that it will break the 

 food, as other creatures do with their teeth. 



t As lo Woodcocks and Snipes, who hunt for worms in moorish 

 ground, and likewise suck the unctuous humour out of the earth. 

 So also the bills of Curlews, and other Sea-fowl, are very long, to 

 enable them to hunt for worms, &c, in the sands. 



$ Ducks, Geese, and divers other species of birds, have brlls both 

 long and broad, whereby they are enabled to quaffer in the water 

 or mud, till they find their food. 



The green woodspite, and all woodpeckers have strong and 

 sharp bills, curiously made for digging wood. An even ridge runs 

 along to the top of the green woodpecker's bill, as if an artist had 

 designed it at once for strength and neatness. 



Woodpeckers have also a tongue, ending in a sharp, bony rib, 

 dented on each side, which they can at pleasure shoot out to a 

 great length, and thrust into the holes, clefts and crannies of 

 trees. They strike them likewise into ant-hills, and fetch out the 

 ants and their eggs. Moreover they have short, but strong legs, 

 and their toes stand, two forward, two backward; a disposition 

 which is particularly convenient for the climbing of trees. In this 

 they are likewise assisted by the uncommon stiffness of the feathers 

 of their tails, and by their bending'downward, whereby they are 

 fitted to serve them as props to lean on, 



|| The cross-bill, whose bill is thick and strong, with the tips 

 crossing each other, readily breaks open fir-cones a; id other fruits, 

 to come at and feed on the kernels. And undoubtedly the crossing 

 of the bill was designed for this very service. 



** The sea-pye has a long, sharp, narrow bill, compressed side- 

 ways, and every way adapted to the raising limpets from the rocks, 

 which are its chief, if not only, food. 



