18 HABITS OF BIRDS. 



others, is very long 1 , and its claw is somewhat flat, 

 slightly curvilineal outwards, and serrated on the 

 concave edge, something like a sickle placed flatwise, 

 with its point outwards, though Bewick's figure erro- 

 neously represents it as bending inwards like the other 

 claws. 



This form of the claw peculiarly unfits it for an 

 instrument to seize with, while it renders it well 

 adapted for a comb ; and when we consider how the 

 bristles around the gape may become bent or clotted 

 at their points, the necessity of such an instrument 

 will scarcely be disputed. Mr. Dillon adds, " I think 

 I have seen the bird several times use his foot as I 

 have described : I am almost sure my eyes could not 

 have deceived me*." 



In reply to this it has been contended, " that there 

 is an American group of this family, which have no 

 bristles round the bill, and yet have serrated claws ; 

 and another group in Australia having bristles, and 

 yet the claw smooth and simple ;" and in reply to 

 Wilson's account the same writer remarks, that to 

 suppose " nature has given to one or two families of 

 birds the exclusive power of freeing themselves 

 from an enemy which, in like manner, infests all 

 birds, is preposterous," adding, that " the Australian 

 Podargus (the family just referred to as having a 

 smooth middle claw) is so tormented, since some of 

 the empty nits still adhere to the feathers of my spe- 

 cimens *(" We may add, that in all the specimens 

 we have examined the claw is bent inwards, as Be- 

 wick represents it, and not outwards, upon which cir- 

 cumstance chiefly Mr. Dillon founds his opinion J. 



Perhaps it might be as well to imitate the modesty 

 of Audubon, who says, " I wish I could have disco- 

 vered the peculiar use of the pectinated claw which 



* Mag. of Nat. Hist. iii. 33. 

 t Ibid. iv. 276. J J. R. 



