LOCOMOTION. 215 



had at first adopted the common opinion, was in- 

 duced, from the information he received, to change it, 

 as the navigators all agreed that the birds had legs, 

 rather more weak and slender than those of the 

 magpie, and that they could walk (incedere) and fly 

 like other birds ; but the Indians, upon taking them, 

 cut off the legs, and taking out the entrails, dried 

 them in the sun to fit them the better for ornamental 

 head-dresses. The practice of disembowelling them, 

 in conjunction with their being deprived of feet, led 

 to another singular fancy, that having no need of 

 food, they lived wholly upon dew and vapours. 



There is a British bird the swift (Cypselus 

 murarius, TEMMINCK), which has, at least in name 

 (Apus, BELON ; Hirundo Apus, LINN^IUS), been 

 represented as destitute of feet ; but though its legs 

 are exceedingly short, the structure of its feet is 

 admirably adapted to its economy. The shortness 

 of the legs and the great length of the wings render 

 it very difficult, if not impossible, for it to rise from 

 an even surface, and, as if conscious of this inability, 

 it is never seen to light on the ground ; " but," as 

 Dr. Drummond well remarks, " there is no imper- 

 fection in this, for the air and not the ground is the 

 bird's place of abode *." The peculiar conformation 

 of the foot distinguishes the swift from the swallows, 

 and indeed from all other known birds ; for though 

 some species have the power of turning one of their 

 toes either before or behind, none but the swift can 

 turn ail the four toes of the foot forwards. The 

 least toe also, which, following the analogy of other 

 birds, should be the back one, consists only of a 

 single bone, while the other three toes have only two 

 bones each, a structure adapted to the habit of the 

 bird of clinging with ease to the perpendicular face of 

 walls and rocks and eaves of houses, aided by its 

 "Letters to a Young Naturalist, p. 218. 



