177 
curs in outward appearance, that should 
enable the Corvorant, Shag, and many 
others, to dive with such facility as they 
are known to do."& The Doctor conti- 
nues thus " We view Nature's opera- 
tions and admire them in course, yet can- 
not always comprehend the utility of her 
works ; this seems one of the designs con- 
cerning which we are not at all clear. 
It, too, must be confessed, that the whole 
we have been able to obtain by our scru- 
tinising into this subject is, the security of 
a mark of distinction in respect to several 
species concerning which we have been 
more or less in a state of uncertainty." 
This subject being of the utmost conse- 
quence to those studying Ornithology, we 
* The Wild Swan in which we observe a great elon- 
gation added to a peculiar curvature of the wind-pipe, 
is able to hold its head for a length of time under wa- 
ter in search of food ; but we have no authority for 
saying whether it can do so a longer time than the 
Tame Swan in which no such peculiarity is seen : be- 
sides, the Common Crane, aud othi rs of theJrdea genus 
which have not even the power to swim, are endowed 
with a much greater elongation and curvature of th« 
wind pipe than the Wild Swan % 
'85 
