BIRDS. 



HAVING in the course of my Zoological 

 Lectures, given a slight general description of 

 Birds, I prefix it, without any material altera- 

 tion, to the present volume. 



In Birds the skeleton or bony frame of the 

 animal is, in general, of a lighter nature than 

 in Quadrupeds, and is calculated for the 

 power of flight: the spine or back bone is 

 immoveable, but the neck lengthened and 

 flexible: the breast-bone very large, with a 

 prominent keel down the middle, and formed 

 for the attachment of very strong muscles : 

 the bones of the wings are analogous to those 

 of the fore-legs in quadrupeds, but the ter- 

 mination is in three joints or fingers only, of 

 which the exterior one is very short. What 

 are commonly called the legs are analogous 

 to the hind-legs in quadrupeds, and they 

 terminate, in general, in four toes, three of 



