CHAPTER II. 



STRUCTURE 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. 



E 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. 

 Skeleton of a Vulture -,,7-, . , , x , . , 



Whereas in those which 



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



