. The bird, its form and function . Fig. 303.—Foot of Coot. 388 The Bird yet, when put upon the defensive, herons resort to muchthe same tactics as do the birds of prey. When corneredor wounded, so that escape by flight is impossible, thebird throws itself upon its back and, with uplifted clawsand levelled beak, awaits the attack of its assailant. Thetalons and mandibles of a hawk offer ten sharp pointswhich can all do severe damage; but the heron dependsonly on the grasping power of its toes to hold fast, whileit strikes savage, spear-like blows with its beak. On the borderland of the fully w
. The bird, its form and function . Fig. 303.—Foot of Coot. 388 The Bird yet, when put upon the defensive, herons resort to muchthe same tactics as do the birds of prey. When corneredor wounded, so that escape by flight is impossible, thebird throws itself upon its back and, with uplifted clawsand levelled beak, awaits the attack of its assailant. Thetalons and mandibles of a hawk offer ten sharp pointswhich can all do severe damage; but the heron dependsonly on the grasping power of its toes to hold fast, whileit strikes savage, spear-like blows with its beak. On the borderland of the fully webbed aquatic birds. Fig. 304.—Comb on the toe of Heron. we find the flamingo, combining characters of the heronsand ducks. Its haunts are the exposed coral-flats oftropical keys, where at any time a high tide or asevere storm may sweep all, old and young, from theirfeet. Then it is lucky indeed that the youngsters havewebs between their toes in addition to their long is a case of swim or be drowned. In the great Orders of sea-birds, and in the ducks andtheir allies, the three front toes are joined together by Feet and Legs 389 a web of skin which, when swimming, offers a large areaof resistance to the water when the foot is pushed back-ward. The chick in the egg has a shadow-membraneof his fish-hke ancestors between his toes, and in thesewater-birds the web of skin continues throughout life. Inthe terns or sea-swallows, which swim much less thanthey fly, the web is excised, or scalloped out deeply, areturn to an almost semipalmated condition.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1906
