Knowledge of natural history, revfrom Reason why: natural history, giving reasons for hundreds of interesting facts in connection with zoology; and throwing light upon the peculiar habits and instincts of the various orders of the animal kingdom . and sometimes even in thewater. Sometimes, if the female finds a low projecting rock, she makesher nest on the edge, thereof, and raises no hillock. 903. Why has the avocet a bill shaped like a scoop? Avocets are fen birds; but, in feeding, they frequentonly those parts of the fens which are alternately floodedand left dry by tidal waters. Their bill
Knowledge of natural history, revfrom Reason why: natural history, giving reasons for hundreds of interesting facts in connection with zoology; and throwing light upon the peculiar habits and instincts of the various orders of the animal kingdom . and sometimes even in thewater. Sometimes, if the female finds a low projecting rock, she makesher nest on the edge, thereof, and raises no hillock. 903. Why has the avocet a bill shaped like a scoop? Avocets are fen birds; but, in feeding, they frequentonly those parts of the fens which are alternately floodedand left dry by tidal waters. Their bills are not adaptedfor taking any fcfnJ of food upon land; neither are theyfitted for fishing in the waters. Their food is containedin mud, ooze, or light gravel; and consists of worms,larvae, and small molluscous and crustaceous animals, whichare there found in great plenty. The greater number ofthese are embedded to a certain depth, and are not seenby birds that feed by sight. 280 KNOWLEDGE OF NATURAL HISTORY. The machine, which we are inspecting, demonstrates by its construction,contrivance, and design. Contrivance must have had a contriver,design a designer; whether the machine immediately pro-ceeded from another machine or not.— 904. In searching for its food among various accumulated matters, the avocet moves along withslow but rather lengthy steps,and scoops ooze or mud incurves, right and left, as itproceeds. In performing thisoperation, it does not use thebill only, but the whole alights in the middle withits head in the stream, and theone foot a little in advance ofthe other. It then stretches anddepresses the neck, and gives ita twist, so that the extremityof the bill, which is on a levelwith the ooze* is turned tothe other side. The foot far-thest in advance is the pivoton which it is to turn, inmaking the stroke which sweepsone curve. Then it slowly ad-vances the rearmost foot, which elevates the hinder part of the body, depresses the fore part, and
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1916
