Heads and Necks 2 
_ 
in miniature, growing almost a foot in length from the 
centre of the breast! 
The length of the neck of birds is often correlated 
with that of the legs,—a long-legged bird of necessity re- 
quiring a long neck to permit its bill to reach the ground. 
Geese and swans are an exception, and in their case we 
Fic. 225.—Flamingoes Correlation of long neck with long legs 
find that the long, mobile neck is of great use in making 
up for the awkwardness of their waddle when on land, 
and in allowing them to reach beneath them while floating 
in shallow water, thus feeding along the bottom. 
Herons are uniformly so light of body that they would 
have difficulty in steadying themselves in the air, were 
it not that, when in flight, their necks become compressed 
to an incredible thinness, thus acting as does the cut- 
