SCRATCHERS AND SEIZERS 55 



ticularly prolonged and jforms a most effective 'hoe. 

 Another hoeing genus, in a very different family, is 

 that of theyLoTiavis (Lophophorus) among the gam^- 

 birds, 'best-known in the person of the splendid 

 " Impeyan Pheasant " ; this bird will continue 

 hoeing by the hour, in search 6i roots and grubs, 

 and scratches very little, although belonging to a 

 group which are particularly characterized by 

 using the feet in ithis way in search of food. 



iln ifact, the Game-birds used 'to be known by the 

 general title of Rasores or scratchers, and every one 

 knows what execution they can do in this way. 

 tTheir scratching instinct and capacity, in fact, is 

 no doubt one of itheir strongest assets lin the struggle 

 for existence'; the habit is not a common one among 

 (birds when applied to food-getting, though it crops 

 up again amongst the Passerines ; the Whydah- 

 •birds among the Finches, for instance, are scratchers, 

 and so is our Bearded Reedling. The Lyre-bird 

 {Menura superba), too, is a most powerful scratcher ; 

 indeed, it actuaEy grips clods and throws them 

 back, shifting masses of as much as seven pounds in 

 iweight, although not bigger than a Fowl. 



The feat, however, are only employed in actually 

 seizing food in the birds of prey — Hawks, Eagles, 

 and Owk — and in these are specialized for the 

 purpose, being armed, as every one knows, with 

 ■particularly long and sharp claws, and having a 

 rmost powerful -grip, at )least in the typical forms. 

 There are some interesting minor specializations 

 among these birds ; thus, the especially bird- 



