. The bird, its form and function . Fig. 117.—Rattlesnake. 152 The Bird deposited their eggs. For hundreds of yards every thornybush is packed full of cup-shaped nests, even the spacesbetween the nests being often filled up with sticks orrubbish, through which narrow passages are left for theingress and egress of the birds. Many starlings that canfind no room in the bushes build on the ground, or under. Fig. 118.—Brown Pelicans diving for fish. (.Sanborn, photographer. CourtesyN. Y. Zoological Society.) stones, or in holes, and these unfortunates, together withtheir eggs or 3oung, ultimately b
. The bird, its form and function . Fig. 117.—Rattlesnake. 152 The Bird deposited their eggs. For hundreds of yards every thornybush is packed full of cup-shaped nests, even the spacesbetween the nests being often filled up with sticks orrubbish, through which narrow passages are left for theingress and egress of the birds. Many starlings that canfind no room in the bushes build on the ground, or under. Fig. 118.—Brown Pelicans diving for fish. (.Sanborn, photographer. CourtesyN. Y. Zoological Society.) stones, or in holes, and these unfortunates, together withtheir eggs or 3oung, ultimately become the victims ofthe smaller carnivorous mammals or of snakes. It fre-quently happens also that either the young locusts arehatched in insufficient numbers or that they migrate beforethe young starlings are fledged. In either case largenumbers of birds perish of hunger, the majority of the The Food of Birds 153 old birds and the more advanced young following thelocusts. Slugs and snails are eaten by thrushes and many othersmall birds with avidity, and the name Snail-hawkhas been given on account of one birds fondness for thesemollusks. The Oyster-catcher feeds on clams and oystersand derives its name from the facility with which it in-serts its bill and pries open the shells. The Courlan,a near relative of the rails, feeds on clams and musselsand has a most ingenious method of obtaining its
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