262 



A YEAR WITH NATURE. 



FOOT OF GOLDEN 

 PLOVER. 



the hind toe fully developed, the last three feet I have illus- 

 trated affording the non-observant of Nature's workings much 

 wonderment. The structure of the toes and 

 shortness of the tarsi indicates that these 

 birds are of arboreal habits. * Why should 

 these extraordinary variances exist?' I can 

 hear someone say : * Why should such diversity 

 be, such amazing variance?' I must refer all 

 such to safer and wiser hands than the Author's 

 for it is a matter that has engaged the close 

 and careful attention of some of the greatest 

 master minds the Scientific world has ever 

 produced. 



The Merganser is another Aquatic bird the Red Breasted 

 variety is the only one which breeds in 

 our Country. These birds dive and swim 

 with astonishing ease and rapidity, and 

 owing to the remarkable flatness of the 

 body, whilst swimming, they appear 

 as if deeply sunk in the water. Like 

 the Grebes, on land their actions are of 

 an embarrassed order, but the flight is 

 vigorous and strong. It is said that the 

 flesh is rank and disgusting. If, then, it 



is not as an article of food that the one 

 variety we have with us at the present 

 time has diminished, why is it? Is it all 

 to be attributed to the draining of the 

 fens? 



The curious looking foot of the Eury- 

 laimus is well worth hanging in this 

 Bird Gallery. The Javanese Eurylaimus 

 is a native of Java as the first part 

 of its name implies and Sumatra. It 

 resorts to huge forests where rivers and 

 marshes abound, and its food consists 

 of insects and worms. It is not recorded, 



FOOT OF RHINOCEROS so far as J c ^ n ascertain, that its 

 HORNBILL. foot aids it in any way particularly, 



FOOT OF LAPWING. 



