36 
THE BEAK. 
very curious instance of contrivance. In most species 
it will be observed, that the upper part of the beak 
is lhrger, and covers the lower part, but in this bird 
the contrary takes place ; for the lower jaw or 
mandible of the beak is much larger than the upper, 
so that the bird can use it as a sort of spoon, dip- 
ping it into the water, and thus scooping up small 
fishes, or other light floating particles on which it 
feeds. How different, in its form, is the beak of this 
bird from those of the Swallow and Goat-sucker 
tribe, which, feeding on the wing, adopt a somewhat 
similar course in catching the various flying insects 
on which they live. In their case the beak is short, 
and so weak as to be almost soft, but of vast width, 
proportioned to the size of the body. This may be 
easily seen in the common House Swallow, but more 
particularly in the Swift or large Black Swallow and 
Goat-sucker, whose heads may be said to be almost 
all composed of mouth, so wide and gaping are their 
large short beaks ; consequently, when the supply 
of insects is abundant, they have little more to 
do than fly with open mouth, and close their beaks 
upon the objects which cross their flight. This 
the Swallow does with a sharp clicking jerk, which 
may be heard by an attentive listener on a calm 
day, at a considerable distance. 
In the Toucan, the beak forms a most prominent 
and unsightly feature, being quite a deformity in 
that otherwise beautiful and graceful bird*; and 
were it as heavy in proportion as the bills of 
other birds, it would prove a very serious weight, 
and materially impede its flight, if not quite weigh 
* See p. 43. 
