FEET OF BIRDS OF PREY. 243 



feeds much upon reptiles, and often upon poisonous 

 ones, the tarsi are as long as those of the wading 

 birds. This, however, is not to answer a wading pur- 

 pose, but to raise the body of the bird above the 

 reach of the envenomed prey, as this falcon (which, by 

 the way, is not a falcon) kills by the clutch or truss 

 of the talons, after the general habit of the order. 

 The following is one of the fishing accipetres. 



Osprey. 



As walking is not much a habit with birds having 

 this description of foot, the femur, or thigh bone, has 

 not a great deal of motion or of muscle. The largest 

 muscles are those which work the toes and claws, and 

 they are situated upon the t'lbice. They are always 

 protected by a thick feathery covering, and in the 

 species which inhabit cold countries, the feathers are 

 continued on the tarsi, or they hang down and shel- 

 ter those parts of the feet, so that the tendons and 

 ligaments may not be stiffened and rendered unfit for 

 action by the cold. 



There is considerable freedom of motion laterally 

 in the toes of these clutching feet. When they are 

 employed in violent or excited action, the four claws 

 R 2 



