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CHAPTER II. 

 STEUCTUEE OF BIRDS. 



External Structure. Skeleton. Character of Beak. Bones, 

 their Lightness. Solidity of Backbone Breastbone, Use of. 

 Wing-bones. Legs, Peculiarities of. When resting on one 

 Leg. Why Birds do not fall. 



WE shall now proceed to give a few details concerning 

 the structure and peculiarity of their forms and cha- 

 racters. 



In examining the 

 skeleton, we find the 

 head terminating in a 

 beak, composed of a 

 horny substance, in 

 form and structure and 

 hardness as intimately 

 connected with the ha- 

 bits and general cha- 

 racter of the bird, as 

 jaws and teeth are with, 

 those of man and other 

 animals. Thus in Ea- 

 gles, Hawks, and all 

 birds which tear their 

 prey, as well as in 

 Parrots, which have to 

 bruise hard substances, 

 or procure their food 

 by piercing the bark of 

 trees, as Woodpeckers,- 

 the bill is extremely 

 hard and powerful. 

 Whereas in those which 



Skeleton of a Vulture. 



feed on worms, and substances equally soft, or live by suction, 



