Keri Beck, age 9, of Kalispell, Mont., for her question:

JUST WHAT IS A GIZZARD?

A gizzard is a special organ of the digestive system of birds and a few other animals. It breaks up and grinds hard, solid foods.

In birds, the gizzard is a muscular part of the stomach. It is lined with a thick, tough membrane. It contains stones and gravel that the bird has swallowed, along with food.

After the food goes through the bird's mouth, it passes through a channel of the throat called the gullet. The gullet has a pouch called the crop and here the bird's food is moistened.

Next the food passes from the crop to the glandular part of the stomach, where it is mixed with gastric jucies.

Then the food passes into the gizzard, where it is crushed by the movement of the muscular walls and the gravel.

The gizzards of grain eating birds are better developed than those of insect eating birds.