BIRDS. 



Birds of the sparroto kind comprelieiid all that beautiful and 

 vocal class that adorn our fields and groves, and gratify every 

 sense in its turn. Their bills may be compared to a forceps 

 that catches hold ; their legs are formed for hopping along ; 

 their bodies are tender ; pure in such as feed upon grain, im- 

 pure in such as live upon insects. They live chiefly in trees ; 

 their nests are artificially made, and their amours are observed 

 with connubial fidelity. 



Birds of the duck kind use their bill as a kind of strainer to 

 their food ; it is smooth, covered with a skin, and nervous 

 at the point. Their 1/igs are short, and their feet formed for 

 swimming, the toes being webbed together : their body is fat, 

 inclining to rancidity. They live in waters, and chiefly build 

 nests upon land. 



"With respect to the order of birds that belong to the waters, 

 those of the crane kind have their bill formed for the purposes 

 of searching and examining the bottom of pools ; their legs are 

 long, and formed for wading ; their toes are not webbed ; their 

 thighs are half naked ; their body is slender, and covered with a 

 very thin skin ; their tail is short and their flesh savoury. They 

 live in lakes upon animals, and they chiefly build their nests 

 upon the ground. 



Such is the division of Linnaeus with respect to this class of 

 animals ; and at first sight it appears natural and comprehen- 

 sive. But we must not be deceived by appearances ; the stu- 

 dent, who should imagine he was making a progress in the histo<y 

 of nature, while he was only thus making arbitrary distributions, 

 would be very much mistalien. Should he come to enter deep- 

 er into this naturalist's plan, he would find birds the most unlike 

 in nature thrown together into the same class ; and find animals 

 joined, that entirely differ in climate, in habitudes, in manners, 

 in shape, colouring, and size. In such a distribution, for in- 

 stance, he would find the humming bird and the raven, the rail 

 and the ostrich, joined in the same family. If, when he asked 

 what sort of a creature was the humming-bird, he were told 

 that it was in the same class with the carrion-crow, would he 

 not think himself imposed upon ? In such a case the only way 

 to form any idea of the animal whose history he is desirous to 

 Know, is to see it ; and that curiosity very few have an oppoi- 

 tiinity of gratifying. The number of buds is so great, that it 



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