A Bird's Foot 



the bird's "leg" is in reality the bird's foot, and what 

 they call its "foot" comprises only its toes and claws. 



To obtain a correct idea of the bird's entire walking 

 apparatus, we begin with the uppermost part of the leg. 

 As we proceed, it would be well to keep in mind the dif- 

 ferent parts of the human leg and foot. The highest bone 

 is called the thigh bone or femur, which is, for the most 

 part, enclosed in the general integument of the body, and 

 is not entirely separate from it as is the thigh bone of the 

 human leg. Among carvers it is known as the "second 

 joint." It reaches forward and slightly downward, and 

 is hidden under the feathers of the body. The upper 

 end of the femur enlarges into a globular head, which fits 

 into the socket of the hip in the pelvis, while the lower 

 end meets another long bone, which extends obliquely 

 backward and downward and with which it forms the 

 knee joint. 



The knee of the bird extends forward, as the human 

 knee does when it is bent. By means of various nodules 

 and tendons the femur is articulated with and fastened to 

 the next large bone at the knee joint. This second bone 

 is the leg proper, called in scientific language the crus. 

 When, with its thick, palatable flesh, it is cooked and 

 placed on tfre table, it is known as the " drumstick" - a 

 favorite part of the fowl with hungry boys, vying, in 

 their minds, with the "white meat" of the breast. 



This important segment of the limb is composed of 

 two bones, the larger of which is called the tibia, the 

 smaller the fibula. At its lower end the tibia forms what 



