File:The bird, its form and function (1906) (14732798956).jpg

Identifier: birditsformfuncti00beeb (find matches)
Title: The bird, its form and function
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: Beebe, William, 1877-1962
Subjects: Birds -- Anatomy Birds -- Physiology
Publisher: New York, H. Holt and company
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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Text Appearing Before Image:
Fig. 309.—(a) Front and (b) side view of foot of Ostrich. #^1 S-.l^.
Text Appearing After Image:
Fig. 310.—Feet of Donkey. Fig. 311.—Feet of young Kangaroo. 39^ The Bird one quarter as large; and indeed it bids fair to disappear altogether in the course of time, and even now the diminutive nail which is often present is only as large as the claw of a chicken. The power of the ostrich to defend itself by kicking is proverbial, but the claw on the large toe is blunt and the ability to inflict injury lies in the terrible force of the blow. Its ally, the cassowary, has three good-sized toes, and on the innermost one a specially adapted weapon in the shape of a strong, pointed, talon-like claw, four inches in length. The two photographs (Figs. 312 and 313) show how similar the tracks which the modern cassowary makes in walking over moist clay, are to those made by the bipedal reptilian Dinosaurs millions of years ago, which have been found in the Connecticut valley. Thus in our brief review we have seen how the feet and legs of birds serve them well in walking, hopping, running, perching, scratch

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