A STUDY IN BIRDS' CLAWS, TALONS, AND FEET. 261 



FOOT OF GREBE. 



its wings to add to its velocity. The Great Crested and the 



Little Grebe are the only two of this order which now breed 



amongst us. 



In my essay on Birds' Beaks I pointed out that I could not fail 



to include the Macaw, and the same 



remark applies in the present instance. 



Placed by the side of the bird last 



dealt with, a very striking diversity 



will be noticed. It is of course a 



typical specimen of the foot of the 



Parrot tribe, and in the language of 



Scientists it is * completely zygodactyle 



and prehensile.' Who has not been 



interested in ' Polly ' as she takes a 



lump of sugar in one foot and nibbles 



away at it, using one foot as a hand 



and the other to stand upon ? The 



feet also aid this bird very materially 



in climbing. Compare the foot of the 



Macaw with that of the Grebe or the Tern and the difference 



will be at once appreciated. 



The foot of the beautiful Golden Plover a British Bird 



affords an opportunity of showing a bird possessing toes all 



directed forwards, and the interesting 

 nature in this respect will be the more 

 apparent when compared with that of 

 another member of this group, namely, 

 the Lapwing, for here it will be observed 

 that the hind toe is much more developed 

 than in the bird last commented upon. 

 This is one of the farmer's friends 

 although a great many of them do not, 

 or will not, know it. It destroys a great 

 number of worms, insects, larvcne, etc., 

 and yet landowners are foolish enough 



to encourage the collecting of its eggs, and the shooting of 

 r the bird, for market 1 He gains one way and loses the other 



the balance is probably on the adverse side. 



In the case of the Rhinoceros Hornbill we have a foot with 



FOOT OF MACAW. 



