Loves Meinie | Page 8

the outer part, which alone it eats."
One's first impression is that this must be a singularly unpleasant
operation for the worm, however fastidiously delicate and exemplary in
the robin. But I suppose the real meaning is, that as a worm lives by
passing earth through its body, the robin merely compels it to quit
this--not ill-gotten, indeed, but now quite unnecessary--wealth. We
human creatures, who have lived the lives of worms, collecting dust,
are served by Death in exactly the same manner.
23. You will find that the robin's beak, then, is a very prettily
representative one of general bird power. As a weapon, it is very
formidable indeed; he can kill an adversary of his own kind with one
blow of it in the throat; and is so pugnacious, "valde pugnax," says
Linnæus, "ut non una arbor duos capiat erithacos,"--"no single tree can
hold two cock-robins;" and for precision of seizure, the little flat hook
at the end of the upper mandible is one of the most delicately formed
points of forceps which you can find among the grain eaters. But I pass
to one of his more special perfections.
24. He is very notable in the exquisite silence and precision of his
movements, as opposed to birds who either creak in flying, or waddle
in walking. "Always quiet," says Gould, "for the silkiness of his
plumage renders his movements noiseless, and the rustling of his wings
is never heard, any more than his tread on earth, over which he bounds
with amazing sprightliness." You know how much importance I have
always given, among the fine arts, to good dancing. If you think of it,
you will find one of the robin's very chief ingratiatory faculties is his
dainty and delicate movement,--his footing it featly here and there.
Whatever prettiness there may be in his red breast, at his brightest he

can always be outshone by a brickbat. But if he is rationally proud of
anything about him, I should think a robin must be proud of his legs.
Hundreds of birds have longer and more imposing ones--but for real
neatness, finish, and precision of action, commend me to his fine little
ankles, and fine little feet; this long stilted process, as you know,
corresponding to our ankle-bone. Commend me, I say, to the robin for
use of his ankles--he is, of all birds, the pre-eminent and characteristic
Hopper; none other so light, so pert, or so swift.
25. We must not, however, give too much credit to his legs in this
matter. A robin's hop is half a flight; he hops, very essentially, with
wings and tail, as well as with his feet, and the exquisitely rapid
opening and quivering of the tail-feathers certainly give half the force
to his leap. It is in this action that he is put among the motacillae, or
wagtails; but the ornithologists have no real business to put him among
them. The swing of the long tail feathers in the true wagtail is entirely
consequent on its motion, not impulsive of it--the tremulous shake is
after alighting. But the robin leaps with wing, tail, and foot, all in time,
and all helping each other. Leaps, I say; and you check at the word; and
ought to check: you look at a bird hopping, and the motion is so much a
matter of course, you never think how it is done. But do you think you
would find it easy to hop like a robin if you had two--all but
wooden--legs, like this?
26. I have looked wholly in vain through all my books on birds, to find
some account of the muscles it uses in hopping, and of the part of the
toes with which the spring is given. I must leave you to find out that for
yourselves; it is a little bit of anatomy which I think it highly desirable
for you to know, but which it is not my business to teach you. Only
observe, this is the point to be made out. You leap yourselves, with the
toe and ball of the foot; but, in that power of leaping, you lose the
faculty of grasp; on the contrary, with your hands, you grasp as a bird
with its feet. But you cannot hop on your hands. A cat, a leopard, and a
monkey, leap or grasp with equal ease; but the action of their paws in
leaping is, I imagine, from the fleshy ball of the foot; while in the bird,
characteristically [Greek: gampsônux], this fleshy ball is reduced to a
boss or series of bosses, and the nails are elongated into sickles or

horns; nor does the springing power seem to depend on the
development of the bosses. They are far more developed in an eagle
than a