38o 



The Bird 



ing the body down with one foot, proceeds to swallow it. 

 In case a snake proves unusuall}' hard to manage on 

 the ground tlie dauntless bird watches his opportunity, 

 seizes his adversary close to the head, and, flying aloft 

 to a considerable height, lets it drop on the hard ground, 

 which is usually sufhcient to prepare it for the final 

 ceremony of swallowing." 



Fig. 298. — Feet of Ruffed Grouse, showing snowshoes of horn. 



Quail, grouse, pheasants, turkeys, and all the fowl- 

 like birds are scratchers, according to the old classification, 

 and they well deserve the name; for scratching first with 

 one foot and then the other among the leaves and soft 

 dirt for insects is a ver}- pronounced habit of them all. 

 The arrangement of toes is the same as in the perching 

 birds, but the claws are very different. These birds are 



