26 
CHAPTER II. 
STRUCTURE OF BIRDS. 
External Structure. — Skeleton. — Character of Beak. — Bones, 
their Lightness. — Solidity of Backbone — Breastbone, Use of. 
— Wing-bones. — Legs, Peculiarities of. — When resting on one 
Leg. — Why Birds do not fall. 
TT^E shall now proceed to give a few details concerning 
the structure and peculiarity of their forms and cha- 
racters. 
feed on worms, and substances equally 
In examining the 
skeleton, we find the 
bead terminating in a 
beak, composed of a 
horny substance, in 
form and structure and 
hardness, as intimately 
connected with the ha- 
bits and general cha- 
racter of the bird, as 
jaws and teeth are with 
those of man and other 
animals. Thus in Ea- 
gles, Hawks, and all 
birds which tear their 
prey, as well as in 
Parrots, which have to 
bruise hard substances, 
or procure their food 
by piercing the bark of 
trees, as Woodpeckers, 
the bill is extremely 
hard and powerful. 
Whereas in those which 
soft, or live by suction, 
