Identifier: birditsformfunct07beeb (find matches)
Title: The bird, its form and function
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: Beebe, William, 1877-1962
Subjects: Birds Birds
Publisher: New York : Henry Holt
Contributing Library: Internet Archive
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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Text Appearing Before Image:
Fig. 309.—(a) Front and (b) side view of foot of Ostrich.
Text Appearing After Image:
Fig. 310.—Feet of Donkey. Fig. 311.—Feet of young Kangaroo. 396 The Bird fit one quarter as large; and indeed it bids fair to disappearaltogether in the course of time, and even now the dimin-utive nail which is often present is only as large as theclaw of a chicken. The power of the ostrich to defend itself by kickingis proverbial, but the claw on thelarge toe is blunt and the ability toinflict injury lies in the terrible forceof the blow. Its ally, the cassowary,has three good-sized toes, and onthe innermost one a specially adapt-ed weapon in the shape of a strong,pointed, talon-like claw, four inchesin length. The two photographs (Figs. 312and 313) show how similar thetracks which the modern cassowarymakes in walking over moist clay,are to those made by the bipedalreptilian Dinosaurs millions of yearsago, which have been found in theConnecticut valley. Thus in our brief review we haveseen how the feet and legs of birdsserve them well in walking, hopping, running, perch-ing, scr

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