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sparrows and most small birds, arc supported by the 

 little grainy they find up and down. They have rio 

 effort to make, to obtain their food, or break it in 

 pieces, and therefore have a small bill, as well as short 

 necks and legs, which are sufficient for their purpo- 

 ses. But the woodcock, snipe, curlew, and many 

 other birds, seek their food deep in the earth or slime. 

 Therefore they are provided with a long neck and 

 bill, and with these they dig and search and want for 

 nothing. The woodpecker, who lives in a quite dif- 

 ferent manner, is as differently formed. His bill is 

 very long, solid, and strong : his tongue is sharp and 

 extremely long ; beside which, it is armed with little 

 points, and covered with glue toward the extremity. 

 He has short legs, two talons before, two behind, and 

 all very crooked. All this equipage suits his manner 

 ofliving. His food is worms or insects, that live ia 

 the heart of branches of trees, or under the bark of 

 old wood ; frequently they are sunk very deep, 

 under the bark of large billets. The woodpecker has 

 hooked claws, to grasp these branches ; and a strong 

 and pointed bill, to find out by darting it up and down, 

 what parts of them are rotten. When he has found 

 out these, he with his bill, shatters the bark and wood. 

 He then sends forth a loud whistling cry, into the 

 cavity, to alarm the insects and put them in motion. 

 Next he darts in his tongue, and by the small points 

 which arise out of it, and the glue that covers it,draws 

 out whatever lodged there. 



The Heron, on the contrary, mounts aloft. His 

 legs and thighs are very long, and bare of feathers. 

 He has a great length of neck, and an enormous bill, 

 very sharp and jagged at the end. What reason can 

 be assigned for a figure, which at first sight seems so 

 extravagant ? He feeds on frogs and small shell. fish, as 

 well as other fish, which he finds in fens> or bogs, or 

 near the shores of rivers. He wants no feathers on 

 his thighs, to walk tl rough water and slime ; but he 

 needs very long legs, to run ia the water, along the 



