FEATHERS AND FLIGHT. 



17 



and makes a swift flyer. Notice the ease with which 

 a swallow cuts through the air, and then compare 

 the shape of his wang with that of the sparrow's. A 

 long, broad wing is very useful for birds like the eagles 

 and vultures, who spend much time soaring at great 



Fig. 40. — Tail of Barn Swallow. 



Fig. 41. — Tail of Dove. 



heights. The outspread wings and tail keep them up 

 for hours with little effort on their part. 



It is much harder for a bird to start to fly than to 

 go on, unless in a strong wind. Why this is so, it 

 would be hard for you to understand. Some birds, 

 like the Albatross, can remain on the wdng for days, 

 but if caught and placed on the deck of a steamer, 

 they cannot rise and fly off. On the ocean they run 

 a long distance, flapping the water and getting under 

 way, as it is called, before they can rise into the air. 



