. Useful birds and their protection. Containing brief descriptions of the more common and useful species of Massachusetts, with accounts of their food habits, and a chapter on the means of attracting and protecting birds . )art to the fact that, as the. quills of its tail are not stiffenough to afford support, itis obliged to depend upon itslegs and feet. As it has oneach foot three toes in frontand only one Ijehind, it re-verses the position of onefoot in going head downward,throwing it out sidewise andbackward, so that the threelong claws on the three fronttoes grip the bark and keepthe bird
. Useful birds and their protection. Containing brief descriptions of the more common and useful species of Massachusetts, with accounts of their food habits, and a chapter on the means of attracting and protecting birds . )art to the fact that, as the. quills of its tail are not stiffenough to afford support, itis obliged to depend upon itslegs and feet. As it has oneach foot three toes in frontand only one Ijehind, it re-verses the position of onefoot in going head downward,throwing it out sidewise andbackward, so that the threelong claws on the three fronttoes grip the bark and keepthe bird from falling other foot is thrown forward, and thus with feet farapart the little gymnast has a wide base beneath him. Inthe third volume of Reeds American Ornithology Rev. Lean-der S. Keyser describes and illustrates this manner of pro-gression. The Nuthatch not onlv straddles in going downthe tree, but spreads its legs Avidcl} in going round the trunk,as will be seen by the accompan3ing cut, sketched from lifein 1895. Mr. William Brewster has photographed the Red-breasted Nuthatch in similar positions, but bird artists gen- ^ Reeds American Ornithology, Vol. 2, 1902, p. 171. Fig. 55. —>fiitliatches. 174 USEFUL BIRDS. erally s
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookidusefulbi, booksubjectbirds
