BIRDS IN GENERAL. 37 



Birds of the poultry kind have the bjll a little 

 convex, for the purposes of gathering their food. 

 The upper chap hangs over the lower ; their 

 bodies are fat and muscular, and their flesh white 

 and pure. They live upx>n grain, which is mois- 

 tened in the crop. They make their nest on the 

 ground, without art ; they lay many eggs ; and 

 use promiscuous venery. 



Birds of the sparrow kind comprehend all that 

 beautiful and vocal class that adorn our fields and 

 groves, and gratify every sense in its turn. Their 

 bills may be compared to a forceps that catches 

 hold ; their legs are formed for hopping along ; 

 their bodies are tender; pure in such as feed 

 upon grain, impure in such as live upon insects. 

 They live chiefly in trees ; their nests are artifi- 

 cially made, and theijr amours are observed with 

 connubial fidelity. 



Birds of the duck kind use their bills as a kind 

 of strainer to their food ; it is smooth, covered 

 with a skin, and nervous at the point. Their 

 legs are short, and their feet formed for swim- 

 ming, the toes being webbed together. Their 

 body is fat, inclining to rancidity. They live in 

 waters, and chiefly build their nests upon land. 



With respect to the order of birds that belong 

 to the waters, those of the crane kind have the 

 bill formed for the purposes of searching and ex- 

 amining the bottom of pools : their legs are loag 

 and formed for wading ; their toes are not web- 

 bed ; their thighs are half naked ; their body is 

 slender, and covered with a very thin skin ; their 

 tail is short, and their flesh savoury. They live 







