112 



THAT'S IT; 



vertebra?, 5, or spine-bones of' the 

 back ; the caudal vertebra, 6, 

 or spine-bones of the tail ; the 

 clavicles, 7, or collar bones ; the 

 humerus, 8, or the bone con- 

 necting; the shoulder with the 

 fore-arm ; th'* radius and ulna, 9, 

 or bones of the fore-arm, two 

 bones which Ue nearly parallel to 

 each other r the carpus, 10, or 

 wrist; the phalanges, 11, or 

 small bonos of the fingers ; the 

 sternum. \9 t , or breast-bone ; the 

 pelvis, ]\ a group of bones on 

 the back forming a a arch over 

 the cavity of the abdomen ; the 

 femur 9 14, or thigh-bone ; the 

 tibia, 15, or the larger bone of 

 the two forming the shin ; the 

 fibula being the smaller one : 

 the two are placed side by side ; 

 the tarsus, 16, formed of a group 

 of bones in the foot.* 



The nests of birds are objects 

 of peculiar interest ; and may 

 be viewed in our country walks 

 without doing violence to the 

 skilful architects. The different 

 modes of their building ; the 

 various materials employed ; the 

 situations chosen ; the seasons at 

 which they commence, and the 

 length of time they continue to 

 occupy their little habitations, 

 are all matters of interest to the 

 student of nature. Birds that 

 build early in the spring seem to 

 require warmth and shelter for 

 their young ; and the blackbird, 1, 



* These names appear difficult, but they are exceed- 

 ingly useful both to those who trive and those who 

 receive explanations of anatomical subjects, and lessons 

 in natural history, since they apply to all but the 

 lower classes of animals A l^nowledjre of them, which 

 may be acquired in a few minutes, will greatly ausist 

 the reading of scientific works, and the pleasure de- 

 rived from instructive lectures and conversations. The 

 same may be said of all the scientific terms used in 

 these paj^es. The great objection to the use of scientific 

 terms generally is, that they are employed without 

 tbeir meaning being made clear. 



and the thrush, 2, line their nests 

 with a plaster of loam, perfectly 

 excluding 

 by these 

 cottage -like 

 walls, the 

 keen icy 

 gales of our 

 opening 

 year ; yet, 

 should acci- 401. 

 dent bereave the parents of their 

 first hopes, they will construct 

 another, even when summer is 

 far advanced, upon the model of 

 their first erection, and with the 

 precautions against severe wea- 



ther, when all necessity for such 

 provision has ceased, and the 

 usual temperature of the season 

 rather requires coolness and a 

 free circulation of air. The 

 house-sparrow, 3, will commonly 

 build four or five times in the 

 year, and in a variety of situa- 

 tions, under the warm eaves of 

 our houses and our sheds, the 

 branch of the clustered fir, or the 

 thick tall hedge that bounds our 

 gardens, &c. ; in all which places, 

 and without the least considera- 

 tion of site or season, it will col- 

 lect a great mass of straw and hay, 



