The San Francisco call., 1909-04-24

II ECENT investi cations Of science
into the habits Of birds and ami
mails have revealed some very in
teresting facts which must increase our
respect for the intelligence of these
creatures.
Not only are they connoisseurs re-
specting their food. having fine judg-
ment and taste in the selection of It'd
bits. but they possess an esthetic
sense, which is. in some instances, dem
pnstrated by really fine table man
ners"
In man alone are the hands, as it
were. set aside for service on the head,
for. though in the monkeys the fore
feet have become hands and are used
TO carry food TO the mouth, they are
also used for walking purposes; and
this is true also OF the squirrel tribe,
mice and rats and the kangaroo, says
the Louisville Herald. One must. how
ever. make an eXceptRn of those
strange creatures, the jerboas, which.
tn their powers Of salOation have
eclipsed the kangaroos- As conse-
uuence. the forefeet have dwindled
away TO the vanishing point, and hence
are useless save only for conveying
food to the mouth.
The birds feed with The hands tied
behind the back. SO 10 speak. and. as a
consequence. lave developed long, mo-
bile necSs. and beaks OF varying shape,
adapted 70 particular kinds Of food
While many are. t'bolters." others have
eoopted more or less elaborate meth
at,ds Of disposing Of their food prepara-
tory 10 swallowing. Thus the nuthatch,
which feeds principally on nuts, fixes
these hsrd-shelled morsels in the crew
ices OF the bark OF some gnarled tree,
md then smashes the shell by well
directed blows Of a powerful dagger
like beak.
The thrush, on the other hand.
smashes the shells of snails, which
FORM q. large part Of its diet. by bang
ing them against a stone, which. from
long use. becomes a sort Of sacrifcial
altar, since il is generally surrounded
by the accumulated fragments of
countless victims. Crows deal simi-
1srly with mussels picked up on the
seashore; but these are broken by the
very ingenious device Of letting them
s. fall from a height to the rocks below.
As a rule birds contrive in the most
wonderful fashion TO dispense with
hands. Some, like the parrot some
owls and the great purple gallinule
seize and hold their food in one foot
while eating But others. like the
butcher bird, or shrilSe have adopted
the practice OF splitting their food on
the SplneS OF llOlul trees. SucD a.
hawthorn. forming thereon a kind OF
lsrder. Young birds and mice are
fzvorite morseas. and these. requir-
ing TO be torn in pieces, must be Sc
cureIy held Since the feet are not
strong enough for this purpose. the
sskewering system above mentioned
has been devised.
The wryneck. the woodpecker ano
4he great anteater are examples Of
creatures which procure their food by
means OF an extraordinary develop
rnent OF the tongue. This is Of great
length. exceedings mobility and GOV
cred with sticky saliva sort OF nat
1lral 'birdIime. Tins coated, it car
he sent ssiithering" into the midst OF
crowded. sWarms Of insects, to be
ara vu back covered with franticallS
protesting bodies; or il can be shol
ont TO secure victims sihgly. as in the
case Of frogs and toads or the bizarre
chameleon.
The American yellow bellied wood.