The Beaks of Birds　鸟嘴

I dare say you notice that all the birds in this picture have long beaks.We may be sure from this that they live in places and seek for their food in ways in which long beaks are just what they want.The fact is they are all marsh birds,and the soil of marshes being wet and soft,and full of worms,these long beaks enable them to probe it,and so get at the worms.I think the beaks of birds afford a striking example of how good God is in adapting creatures to the mode of life He has appointed for them.The eagles and hawks,you know,are provided with strong,short bills to enable them to seize and tear flesh.Those of canaries and all the finches are just the very instruments to crack seeds with.Parrots,with their tremendous weapons,can crush the hardest nuts of the tropic forest.The crossbill is fitted with a wonderful tool for tearing fir-cones to pieces.Robins and the other warblers have soft bills,which are all they want for eating insects and grubs.

你已经发现这张图里鸟的嘴巴都很长了吧？据此，我们能断定它们生活的地域和觅食的方式都离不开长嘴巴。事实也的确如此。这些鸟都是沼泽鸟。由于沼泽土壤又湿又软，里面各种软体虫子特别多，所以，鸟的长嘴巴可以伸进泥巴里，捉住虫子。上帝为各种生物选择了不同的生活方式，同时也为它们提供了适应这种生活方式的手段。我认为鸟嘴就是一个典型的例子，可以证明上帝考虑得是多么周全。鹰的嘴巴短而坚利，为的是能够猎取和撕咬猎物的肉。金丝雀等所有雀类的嘴巴都是天生的种子粉碎器。鹦鹉能用它们硕大无比的武器——嘴巴咬碎热带雨林里最硬的坚果。交喙鸟的嘴巴也很奇妙，能把杉果撕得粉碎。知更鸟和其他鸣鸟的嘴巴比较柔软，刚好适合吃昆虫和蛆虫。