62 
ORGANS OF BREATHING. 
of it having forgotten to provide its usual supply of 
food. It soon however recovered its strength, and 
did not appear to suffer from its extraordinary ab- 
stinence. How long other birds can sustain hunger 
we can have few opportunities of learning, hut pro- 
bably it will he found that such as are most likely, 
from their habits and particular sort of food, to be 
more exposed to a precarious and doubtful supply, 
are, generally speaking, best provided against the 
chance of suffering. But this is not always the case, 
for geese and fowls, which are rarely without the 
means of supplying themselves, have been known to 
remain a surprising length of time in a fasting state. 
A favourite hen, which had been missed for upwards 
of four weeks, was fortunately found at the bottom 
of a deep well by a person who went down to repair 
it : the poor bird, wdien discovered, was perched on 
a small piece of timber floating on the water, and 
when taken up was in a very exhausted state, but 
soon recovered. 
A goose was accidentally shut up in a shed, and 
supposed to have been carried away by a fox, when, 
at the expiration of three weeks, it was discovered 
alive ; for a few days it continued in a weak state, 
but gradually resumed its strength. 
Having taken a short view of the frame-work and 
internal construction of a bird, with reference to the 
disposal of its food, we shall next consider some 
other of the vital functions, commencing with those 
of breathing and voice. The lungs of men and 
animals occupy, as is well known, a large portion 
of the chest, whereas, in birds, the space occupied 
is not only much smaller, but the lungs themselves 
