the cavity with the eye on that side to which the under mari"
üble. is. curved,
“ The degree of the.daterai power,” drays Mr. Townsön*
“ is surprising, and they are fond of exercising it for mere
amusemëhtr they are, therefore; not a little ihischieŸoùsi
My pets would often come tu- my table whilst I was writ-/
ing, .and carry off my pencils, little chip' boxes in' which I
occasionally kept insects, and other similar objects^’and te a r
them to pieces in a minute.. Their mode of operation,is 1$
first pecking a little hole,' in this they insert their bill, and
then split or tear the object by th e' lateral force; Whén I
treated them, as I often did, with almonds , in tïiéipV shells,
they got at the kernel in the :same manner first, pecking' a
hole: in the shell, and then enlarging it- by wrenching off
pieces by the latéral power,”
- Notwithstanding Buffon’s assertion to ' the. contrary, theyr
fcan pick up and eat the smallest; seeds'; and th’ëy . shell-or
husk hemp, and similar seëdsj-likÿ other birds,- so, perfect and
useful is this singular instrument./f The 'remarks of Buffon
On the beak of this bird, which he characterises as jgjj an erröt
and defect of Nature, and a useless' deformity^ exhibit, to
say the least of them, an erroneous and hastjKconcIusion, un*
worthy the spirit of the seien cç he cultivated. fiuring a
series of observations on the habits and structure of British
Birds, I have never met with a more interesting* or more
beautiful example, of the adaptation of means to anf end^thäif
is to be found in the beak, the;tongue, and their muscjes, in
the Crossbill.
Explanation of the vignette ^ÊÊg '
Fig. 1. Head. of the Crossbill, side -view ; d, ' temporal
muscle ;. b, great.'pyramidal muscle. ■
' Head, viewed from below : c, c, pterygoid muscles
; d, d, graciles muscles.
- 3. Head, side view; a, pterygoidi process ; b,. os
omoideum ; c, os quadratum ; d, d, os jugale.
Fig. 4. Head viewed from behind: a, right temporal
muscle ; b, great pyramidal muscle.
5.. Lo#fe*.-j,aw, si^vdew.; a, cavity for articulation;
b, 6,.coronoid processes.
6. Tongue .sfeen, from-, abdye: a, homy scoop; b, b,
• ^extensor
7.. Tongue,J|jde : a, homy Scoop ; b, extensor
niusisfestv cP flexor muscle.