to gladden for us--as their name now given
implies--many scenes and places otherwise little enlivened; and to make
the very gnats of them profitable to us, were we wise enough. Dainty
and delightful creatures in all their ways,--voice only dubitable, but
I hope not a shriek or a squeak;--and there seems to be no reason
whatever why half our fen lands should not be turned into beds of white
water lilies and golden ducks, with jetty ducklings, to the great
comfort of English souls.[22]

[22] Compare Bishop Stanley's account of the larger tropical
'Jacana,' p. 311. "One species is often tamed, and from its being
a resolute enemy to birds of prey, the inhabitants of the
countries where it is found" (which be they?) "rear it as a
protector for their fowls, as it not only feeds with them, but
accompanies them into the fields, and brings them back in the
evening!"

III.

TREPIDA STAGNARUM. LITTLE GREBE.

100. The two birds--Torrent-ouzel, and Lily-ouzel,--which we have been
just describing, agree, you will observe, in delicate and singular use
of their feet in the water; the torrent-ouzel holding itself
mysteriously at the bottom; and the lily-ouzel, less mysteriously, but
as skillfully, on the top (for I forgot to note, respecting this
raft-walking, that the bird, however light, must be always careful not
to tread on the edges of leaves, but in the middle, or, rather, as
nearly as may be where they are set on the stalk; it would go in at
once if it trod on the edges). But both the birds have the foot which
is really characteristic of land, not water-birds; and especially of
those land species that run well. Of the real action of the toes,
either in running, or hopping, nothing is told us by the
anatomists--(compare lecture on Robin, Sec. 26); but I hope before long to
get at some of the facts respecting the greater flexibility of the
gripping and climbing feet, and elasticity of running ones; and to draw
up something like a properly graduated scale of the length of the toes
in proportion to that of the body.

[Illustration: FIG. 12.]

And, for one question, relative to this--the balance of a bird
_standing_, not gripping--is to be thought of. Taking a typical profile
of bird-form in its abstract, with beak, belly, and foot, horizontal
(Fig. 12), the security of the standing, (supposing atomic weight equal
through the bird's body, and the _will_, in the ankle, of iron,) i