USE OF THE TABLES. 25 



BY way of showing the utility of the preceding 

 Tables, a few instances, explaining the manner of 

 applying them, may be acceptable. 



Suppose, then, that a person entirely ignorant of 

 Ornithology, finds a bird, and wishes to know its 

 name or character. He will first turn to Table I., 

 where the number of hind-toes appear as the dis- 

 tinguishing guide for further observation. His spe- 

 cimen, for instance, has only one hind-toe; he is 

 then directed to the character of the anterior, or 

 fore-toes, the two exterior or outer of which, in this 

 case, he finds to be very slightly connected, and for 

 a moment, without further rules to guide him, he 

 might be at a loss whether to consider his specimen 

 as belonging to the orders Rapaces, Gralla?, or Pas- 

 seres: the character, however, of the claws and beak 

 will at once point ou,t the propriety of considering 

 it as of the Rapacious Order, marked as No. ] . For 

 further information, he is then referred to Table II., 

 where the eyes are to be his guide. He finds them 

 on the side of the head, and pursuing his line of 

 direction, sees that it is feathered about the neck, 

 and he accordingly turns to Table IY., where the 

 lower-jaw, or mandible, as it is called, of the beak, 

 is the distinguishing feature. This lower mandible, 

 in his bird, is not furnished with either bristles or 

 tufts like a beard, neither is the tail considerably 

 lengthened out by feathers projecting one beyond 

 the other, like the Snake-eaters, or Magpies, for 

 example. 



Having proceeded thus far, his attention is turned 



