EXTKRNAr. ANATOMY. 
BILL. 
67 
thick, does not appear to be very solid or compact ; it is 
not improbable that its inside is of a cellular texture, 
something analogous to that of the toucans, and connected 
with the very extraordinary situation of the nostrils. 
(60.) The enormous .sise of the bill, as seen in the 
toucans and hornbills {BuceritUe), sliows that this quality 
is not necessarily accompanied by strenyth, for the in- 
ternal structure, in both families, being cellular, the 
hill is not only very light, but may be broken with ease. 
That of the awks {Alcadce), when viewed in profile, 
^ems to be very large, but it is, in fact, so thin, or 
in other words so compressed, that it must possess 
Very little strength. The pelican’s bill seems dispro- 
portionably large, but it possesses little or no strength : 
the under mandible is so thin that the bones are pliable ; 
and it is one of the vulgar tricks of the keepers in 
teaveiling menageries, to show the spectators how it may 
he turned into a cap or bonnet. 
(6l.) There are some other modifications in the 
form of the bill, which will not strictly come under the 
foregoing definitions ; but which, although compar- 
atively rare, deserve our attention. The chief of these 
may be distinguished by the following names; I. 
Semi-raptorial ; 2. Cuneated, or wedge-shaped ; S. 
Falcate, or sword-shaped; 4. Spatulate, or spoon- 
shaped ; 5. Recurved ; and, 6. Truncated. Each of 
these forms will now be separately considered. 
(62.) I. A Semi-raptorial bill is where the upper man- 
dible terminates in a strong, sharp, abrupt, and for- 
midable hook, obviously intended for rapine, but yet 
Unassisted by those tooth-like processes, or notches. 
which we see in the hawks, shrikes, and fissirostral 
birds. It is obvious that this powerful hook acts as a 
