TRAVELS OF WATERFOWL 



tude. When these hooded birds came to earth they gave further evidence 

 of their inability to perceive the wind's direction, for there was no into-wind 

 pattern of alighting. Their landings aimed at all points of the compass, re- 

 gardless of wind direction (Figure 9). 



Here, then, is the successful accomplishment of blind flight. The water- 

 fowl and these other birds are inherently attuned to movement within their 

 medium. They are innately balanced in their aerial environment as fish are 

 in water. The wild bird, even as a juvenile, is able to remain aloft in flight 

 even though it cannot see the ground. But if the bird does not have visual 

 contact with the earth, it must lose its orientation with the wind when 

 traveling in a moving air mass and thus be displaced geographically without 

 awareness of this displacement. 



72 



