BIRDS IN GENERAL. 9 



and it could scarcely find subsistence unless pos- 

 sessed of a power to discern its food from above 

 with astonishing sagacity. A hawk, for instance, 

 perceives a lark at a distance which neither men 

 nor dogs could spy ; a kite, from an almost im- 

 perceptible height in the clouds, darts down on 

 its prey with the most unerring aim. The sight 

 of birds, therefore, exceeds what we know in 

 most other animals, and excels them both in 

 strength and precision. 



All birds want the external ear standing out 

 from the head ; they are only furnished with holes 

 that convey sounds to the auditory canal. It is 

 true, indeed, that the horned owl, and one or two 

 more birds, seem to have external ears ; but what 

 bears that resemblance are only feathers sticking 

 out on each side of the head, but no way neces- 

 sary to the sense of hearing. It is probable, 

 however, that the feathers encompassing the ear- 

 holes in birds supply the defect of the exterior 

 ear, and collect sounds to be transmitted to the 

 internal sensory. The extreme delicacy of this 

 organ is easily proved by the readiness with 

 which birds learn tunes, or repeat words, and 

 the great exactness of their pronunciation. 



The sense of smelling seems not less vivid in 

 the generality of birds. Many of them wind their 

 prey at an immense distance, while others are 

 equally protected by this sense against their in- 

 sidious pursuers. In decoys, where ducks are 

 caught, the men who attend them universally 

 keep a piece of turf burning near their mouths, 

 upon which they breathe, lest the fowl should 



