CHAPTER XI 



Weapons and fighting methods of birds — Their combats with 

 each other and with various natural enemies — Chief enemies 

 of . birds — ^The passive resistance of birds to unfavourable 

 climate and surroundings — ^Natural defences — ^Perfection and 

 degeneracy of plumage in this connection — ^Powder-coating of 

 some groups. 



In the state of war in which birds, like other wild 

 creatures, perforce exist, they are naturally often 

 called upon to fight, though better qualified, by 

 their general power of flight, for escaping than 

 most other creatures ; and it is noticeable that 

 some of the most formidable fighters are found 

 amongst those in which the power of flight is 

 wanting or not highly developed — the great running- 

 birds and the Game-bird tribe. The Ostrich holds 

 its own among the African quadrupeds by dint of 

 the power of its great feet, the single claw on the 

 longer of its two toes being such a terrible weapon 

 that it can pierce corrugated iron ; and any beast 

 up to the size of a hyaeria has to avoid the Ostrich's 

 wrath. These great birds draw themselves up and 

 strike out with one foot, the Emu and Cassowary 

 being very formidable kickers as well as the Ostrich. 

 In the Cassowaries one of the claws, the innermost, 

 is specialized as a weapon, being unusually long 



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