WALKING AND PERCHING FEET. 261 



berculated margins, and others have them smooth ; 

 but it does not appear that there is any particular 

 difference of habit, for the smooth and rough toed 

 ones indiscriminately perch or "roost" during the 

 night, though they generally nestle on the ground. 

 Those which roost have the feet stouter and the toes 

 longer than those which squat on the ground ; but 

 those which squat are the swiftest runners. In gene- 

 ral, however, their walk is slow, and in some it is 

 stately. They always walk or run, and never hop, or 

 raise both feet from the ground at once, unless when 

 they are alarmed ; and then, if they do not get fairly 

 on the wing, they flutter, and lose command of them- 

 selves. The foot of the common domestic fowl, is 

 an average instance. 



Some have the tarsi plain, some with a soft tubercle, 

 and some with a hard and sharp horny spur. These 

 usually appear on the males only ; but, from phy- 

 siological causes, they are sometimes developed on 

 females. 



FEET FOR WALKING AND PERCHING. 



The feet of the omnivorous birds are generally 

 of this description, and also most of those of the 

 granivorous — as all of them feed on the ground at 

 some seasons, and most of them perch occasionally. 

 The foot has three toes before, and one behind, 

 all articulated on the same level, and divided at 

 their bases. This is not so firm a foot upon the 

 ground as that of the gallinaceous birds ; and the 

 march of none of them is so stately as that of some of 

 these. The axis of the body rolls more when they 

 walk ; and many of them, when urged to speed, hop, 

 and also call in the aid of their wings. 



This want of firmness in walking arises from the 



