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<DIV>I enjoyed Patrick & Ron's detailed discussion. I never imagined a matter that is seemingly so trivial could engage our minds so extensively! </DIV>
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<DIV>It would appear that many uneducated people (or even unscientific educated ones) would see a bird's definitive (prototypical) characteristics as feathers, a beak (not sure about this) and flight and ANIMALS as lacking in these. I would suppose that is why in many African cultures that I know of bats would be considered birds mainly because they fly. The fact that they suckle their young and that they do not lay eggs is not common knowledge, I guess mainly because bats are rarely seen in day light and they live in very secluded places. But as we know, flight is not unique to birds - lots of insects fly too. Will we be wrong to suggest that there is a prototypical bird size too? Robin size. Insects apart from lacking feathers, they are too tiny to be mistaken for birds - and they have too many legs!! A bat however is closer to a prototypical bird size - although it looks like a rat! There are obviously huge birds
and small birds & they are classified as birds mainly because they have one or both of the characteristics of flying & feathers - a bat flies & an ostrich has feathers & a beak. Penguin is a strange fellow because not only can't he fly, he also swims - a quality which is not very birdy! </DIV>
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<DIV><FONT color=#00007f><STRONG>Thapelo Otlogetswe <BR></STRONG></FONT><FONT color=#00007f>Information Technology Research Institute</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#00007f>University of Brighton </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#00007f>Lewes Road, Brighton <BR>BN2 4GJ, <STRONG>England</STRONG> <BR></FONT><FONT color=#444f75>Tel: (+44) 1273 642912 (office) <BR><FONT color=#00007f> </FONT>(+44) 1273 642908 (fax) <BR></FONT><FONT color=#ff0000>http://www.itri.brighton.ac.uk/~Thapelo.Otlogetswe/</FONT></DIV></DIV></DIV><p>
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