24 USE OF THE TABLES. 



BY way of showing the utility of the preceding Tahles, a 

 few instances, explaining the manner of applying them, 

 may be acceptable. 



Suppose, then, that a person entirely ignorant of Orni- 

 thology, finds a bird, and wishes to know its name or cha- 

 racter. He will first turn to Table I., where the number of 

 hind-toes appear as the distinguishing guide for further 

 observation. His specimen, for instance, has only one hind- 

 toe ; he is then directed to the character of the anterior, or 

 fore-toes, the two exterior or outer of which, in this case, 

 he finds to be very slightly connected, and for a moment, 

 without further rules to guide him, he might be at a loss 

 whether to consider his specimen as belonging to the orders 

 Kapaces, Grallse, or Passeres : the character, however, of the 

 claws and beak will at once point out the propriety of con- 

 sidering it as of the Eapacious Order, marked as No. 1. For 

 further information, he is then referred to Table II., where 

 the eyes are to be his guide. He finds them on the side of 

 the head, and pursuing his line of direction, sees that it is 

 feathered about the neck, and he accordingly turns to Table IV., 

 where the lower jaw, or mandible, as it is called, of the beak, 

 is the distinguishing feature. This lower mandible, in his 

 bird, is not furnished with either bristles or tufts like a beard, 

 neither is the tail considerably lengthened out by feathers 

 projecting one beyond the other, like the Snake-eaters, or 

 Magpies, for example. 



Having proceeded thus far, his attention is turned to the 

 first feather of the wing, which he finds to be shorter than 

 the second. He next looks to the beak, which is not 

 lengthened, and straight from its base, but is bent through- 

 out, and hooked at the point. His bird must, therefore, be 

 of the Buteo or Astur genus. But the wings do not extend 

 beyond two-thirds of the tail; it therefore belongs to the 

 Astur genus ; and he has then only to ascertain the species, 

 which he will easily do by consulting museums, or books 

 with minute descriptions and plates. 



Again : a bird is brought to him, which, on comparing 



