COMPENSATION. 185 



Into an examination of the structure and anatomy of the 

 proboscis itself, ^ve should see in it one of the most curious of 

 all examples of animal mechanism. The disposition of the 

 ringlets and fibres, for the purpose, first, of forming a long 

 cartilaginous pipe ; secondly, of contracting and lengthening 

 that pipe ; thirdly, of turning it in every direction at the will 

 of the animal ; with the superaddition at the end of a fleshy 

 production,^' of about the length and thickness of a finger, 

 and performing the office of a finger, so as to pick up a straw 

 from the ground : these properties of the same organ, taken 

 V>gether, exhibit a specimen not only of design — which is 

 attested by the advantage — ^but of consummate art, and as 

 I may say, of elaborate preparation, in accomplishing that 

 design. 



II. The hook in the wing of a bat is strictly a mechani- 

 cal, and also a coTrtpemating contrivance. At the angle 

 of its wing there is a bent claw, exactly in the form of a 

 hook, by which the bat attaches itself to the sides of rocks, 

 caves, and buildings, laymg hold of crevices, joinings, chinks, 

 and roughnesses. It hooks itself by this claw ; remains sus- 

 pended by this hold ; takes its flight from this position : 

 which operations compensate for the decrepitude of its legs 

 and feet. Without her hook the bat would be the most 

 helpless of all animals. She can neither run upon her feet, 

 nor raise herself from the ground. These inabilities are 

 made up to her by the contrivance in her wing ; and in 

 placing a claw on that part, the Creator has deviated from 

 the analogy observed in winged animals. A singular de- 

 fect required a singular substitute. 



III. The crane kind are tiO live and seek their food 

 among the waters ; yet having no web-foot, are incapable 

 of swimming. To make up for this deficiency, they are fur- 

 nished with long legs for wading, or long bills for groping, 

 or usually with both. This is compensation. But I think 

 the true reflection upon the present instance is, how every 



* See Fig. 5. 



