"But they would not be so useful as this Sparrow's if you had to live in a bush and hop about on the twigs," said the Doctor. "The bird's feet are fixed as nicely for that, as yours are for walking on the ground. I can show you, too, little girl, that a Sparrow's feet are a great deal more like yours than you think. Come, Rap! Tell me what you see about this bird's feet."
"Why, they are the ends of its legs, and there is a long slim part beyond the feathers, hard and horny like the beak, and at the end of this are four toes, three in front and one behind, and they've all sharp claws on their ends."
"Very well said, my boy! Now I will show you that such feet as the Sparrow has are as much like Dodo's as a Sparrow's beak is like her mouth. Begin with the claws—"
FIG. 1. Insect-eating Bill of Robin; 2. Seed-crushing Bill of a Sparrow; 3. Snapping Bill Of Whip-poor-will; 4. Needle Bill Of Hummingbird; 5. Chiselling Bill of Woodpecker; 6. Climbing Bill Of Paroquet; 7. Tearing Bill of Falcon; 8. Grooved Drinking Bill Of Dove; 9. Gleaning Bill of Ruffed Grouse; 10. Wedge Bill Of Plover; 11. Straight Probing Bill of Snipe.
FIG. 12: Curved Probing Bill of Curlew; 13. Spearing Bill Of Green Heron; 14. Strainer Bill of Duck; 15. Hooked Bill Of Gull; 16. Ornamental Bill of Male Puffin in Breeding Season.
"I know!" exclaimed Dodo, "toe-nails! Only I think they need cutting!"