NATURAL THEOLOGY. 231 



In birds, this organ assumes a new character ; 

 new both in substance and in form, but in both 

 wonderfully adapted to the wants and uses of a 

 distinct mode of existence. We have no longer 

 the fleshy lips, the teeth of enamelled bone ; but 

 we have, in the place of these two parts, and to 

 perform the office of both, a hard substance, (of 

 the same nature with that which composes the 

 nails, claws, and hoofs of quadrupeds,) cut out 

 into proper shapes, and mechanically suited to 

 the actions which are wanted. The sharp edge 

 and tempered point of the sparrow^s bill picks 

 almost every kind of seed from its concealment 

 in the plant, and not only so, but hulls the grain, 

 breaks and shatters the coats of the seed, in order 

 to get at the kernel. The hooked beak of the 

 hawk tribe separates the flesh from the bones of 

 the animals which it feeds upon, almost with the 

 cleanness and precision of a dissector's knife. 

 The butcher-bird transfixes its prey upon the 

 spike of a thorn whilst it picks its bones. In 

 some birds of this class we have the cross bill, {. e., 

 both the upper and lower bill hooked, and their 

 tips crossing. The spoo?i bill enables the goose 

 to graze, to collect its food from the bottom of 

 pools, or to seek it amidst the soft or liquid sub- 

 stances with which it is mixed. The long tapering 

 bill of the snipe and woodcock penetrate still 

 deeper into moist earth, which is the bed in which 

 the food of that species is lodged. This is exactly 

 the instrument which the animal wanted. It did 



