. The bird; its form and function . ^, as the eyesof the woodcock are placed very far back on the topof its head, and are of little or no use in seeking food. What an interesting study the various beaks of landbirds would offer, were we able to devote to them the 242 The Bird space which they deserve! They defy classification andrefuse to be arranged in any Hnear sequence. The ma-jority of those birds which have their beaks armed witha strong hook feed upon hving prey,—from the greatmandible of the Golden Eagle to the tiny vireo, whichsnaps up the dancing gnats. The owls and the parrots, which
. The bird; its form and function . ^, as the eyesof the woodcock are placed very far back on the topof its head, and are of little or no use in seeking food. What an interesting study the various beaks of landbirds would offer, were we able to devote to them the 242 The Bird space which they deserve! They defy classification andrefuse to be arranged in any Hnear sequence. The ma-jority of those birds which have their beaks armed witha strong hook feed upon hving prey,—from the greatmandible of the Golden Eagle to the tiny vireo, whichsnaps up the dancing gnats. The owls and the parrots, which, by the way, aremuch more closely related than most of our classificationswould indicate, have bills very much alike, and afiord. Fig. 186.—Bill of Golden Eagle, hooked for tearing prey. a striking example of two large related groups of birdswhose diet has become radically unlike, although evenin this case ^blood will tell and the Kea Parrot slipsback into carnivorous habits with ease. Owls tear their prey apart with their beaks, or swallowit entire, but parrots gnaw and gnaw upon their nutsand seeds, reducing their food to powder. This grind-ing and rasping is aided by several file-like ridges whichmany parrots have within their beaks. The hingingof the upper mandible with the skull is more evident in a Beaks and Bills 243 parrot than in any other bird. This arrangement allowsmuch freedom of motion. It is not clearly known what use the immense beaksof toucans may serve, although there seems little excusefor this Ignorance in those who know the birds in theirnative haunts. The delicate, spong} texture renders the
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1906
