CHAPTER II. 



THE STRUCTURE OF THE BIRD. 



LET us now consider the bird's bodily structure. Every 

 child knows that the bird's body is covered with feathers 

 or down, and that what, in the case of mammals are 

 fore-feet, in birds are wings with which they fly. 



There are as many kinds of flight as there are kinds 

 of birds. It depends for the most part on the nature of 

 the bird, in a smaller degree on the structure of the wing. 



The wing of the Swallow (Plate VIII. a) is pointed like 

 that of the Peregrine Falcon, and is adapted for rapid 

 flight. Both these birds secure their prey on the wing, 

 and could not, therefore, live otherwise. 



The wing of the Partridge is, on the contrary, 

 rounded ; this bird does not cut through the air, but 

 can only raise itself in flight with rapid fluttering 

 of the wings, and with a sudden loud " whirr ' 1 

 which makes considerable noise if the covey is a large 

 one. The wing of the Partridge, therefore, is not at 

 all adapted for enabling the bird to catch its prey flying, 

 but only for moving from place to place, where it picks 

 up its food walking. 



From this we learn that the various kinds of wings 

 correspond to various ways of flight and that each bird 

 works out its destiny in its own way. It is suggestive 

 of the organisation of an army, composed of cavalry, 

 infantry, artillery, and other divisions. These also have 

 different kinds of functions, which are necessary both 



