256 The Bird 



small eves of this ])ird become dazzled bv strong light, 

 its food Ijeing detected by the senses of touch and smell. 



The eyes of the woodcock show an interesting adapta- 

 tion to its habits. The l)ird feeds at night in marshes, 

 probing the mud for worms and, being in frequent danger 

 of attack from owls or other foes, it has need of constant 

 vigilance. So we find that its eyes, which are large and 

 lustrous, are j^laced far back on its head and also up near 

 the top of the skull. Useless in guiding the bird in its 

 search for food, the}' have become altered in size and })osi- 

 tion and so best fulfil their function of aiding their owner 

 to all but look through the back of its head. 



Even the iris of a bird's e\'e mav share in the won- 

 derful colour scheme of its feathers, although the most 

 common hue is a hazel-l)rown. And in birds of t^^'o 

 related species or races, there is sometimes a marked dif- 

 ference in the colour of the iris; such, for example, as be- 

 tween the Red-eved and White-eved Vireos, or the simi- 

 larly named Towhees. Puffins have blue irides, pigeons 

 pink ones, while young Bald Eagles have brown eyes 

 which, in the adult, turn yellow. The eyes of Barred 

 Owls seem to ])e a deep, lustrous black, but the}' are really 

 dark brown; while the great yellow eyes of Snowy and 

 Horned Owls are the most brilHant ])its of colour about 

 these birds. In cormorants the irides are a glittering 

 emerald-green. 



It might be thought that '^ making eyes" was con- 

 fined to the more frivolous of our own race, but certain 

 it is that, whether or not it plays a part in charming the 

 females, the irides of the males of a number of species 



