. The bird, its form and function . , from a great height, into the water and seizes thefish in a grip of steeL The upper mandible of the cor-morant is furnished with a large, sharp hook, with whichthe bird gaffs its prey, pursuing it under water. Thesnake-bird, or darter, has a bill like a needle, with whichit spears the fish, impaling it through and through; whilethe pelican, because of its great pouch least vicious ofall in its methods, simply engulfs the fish, the water inwhich it is swimming and all, then straining out the liquid,tosses the unfortunate into the air and swallows ithead fir
. The bird, its form and function . , from a great height, into the water and seizes thefish in a grip of steeL The upper mandible of the cor-morant is furnished with a large, sharp hook, with whichthe bird gaffs its prey, pursuing it under water. Thesnake-bird, or darter, has a bill like a needle, with whichit spears the fish, impaling it through and through; whilethe pelican, because of its great pouch least vicious ofall in its methods, simply engulfs the fish, the water inwhich it is swimming and all, then straining out the liquid,tosses the unfortunate into the air and swallows ithead first. The under mandibles of this bird are longand pliable and so arranged that they can bend far apart,thus making of the great bag of skin beneath the billand throat an admirable fish-trap. This is one of the many instances where several closelyrelated species, with needs so similar that there is dangerof fatal competition, are able to exist in great numbersand to avoid all undue struggle for existence by having Beaks and Bills 229. Fig. 166.—Beak of Snake-bird.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1906
