26 STORIES OF BIRDS AND BEASTS 



between ? They never do ! There has to be a foot in 

 every animal between the toes and the legs. Now 

 what do you call the end of your foot which is opposite 

 the end on which the toes grow ? " 



" It's the heel in people, but I should think the hind 

 toe of a bird was its heel," said Nat doubtfully, and 

 beginning to think he did not understand. 



" You might think so," said the Doctor ; " but you 

 would be wrong. All this horny part that a bird 

 stands up on is its foot. And the top of it, nearest to 

 the feathers, is the heel. Don't you see, when I bend 

 the foot so," continued the Doctor, as he bent the Spar- 

 row's foot forward, " that the top of the horny part 

 makes a joint that stands out backward, in the same 

 position your heel always has ? All this slender horny 

 part of the foot, above the roots of the toes, corresponds 

 to the instep of your foot, and of course the heel comes 

 next. You must remember the name of it the Wise 

 Men call it the tarsus." 



" Then hasn't a bird got any legs, Uncle Roy, only 

 just feet ? " asked Dodo. 



" Oh ! yes ; legs too, with a knee-joint and a hip- 

 joint, like ours. But all these parts are up closer to 

 the body, and hidden by the feathers, so that you can- 

 not see them." 



As the Doctor said this there was a great com- 

 motion. Quick, who had been watching the mouse 

 hole all the while, gave a sharp bark and pounced on 

 something. There was a feeble squeak, and it was all 

 over with a mouse which had ventured too far from its 

 hole. 



" Poor little mousey I " said the Doctor, as he took 



