Northern Observations of Inland Birds 31 



the position of the tail or a part of the tail. For example, 

 a bird was perhaps stationary in the air, then by slightly 

 elevating one wing, or by an adjustment of the position 

 of a few wing feathers, it would suddenly turn, pivotted, 

 so it seemed, on the other wing, or, by slightly altering the 

 angle of both wings, it would rise vertically skywards at 

 giddy speed. The enormously important part played by 

 the tail in these soaring manoeuvres was at once evident. 

 When a buzzard is flying straight its tail is folded like a 

 lady's fan, but when circling and gliding its tail is enor- 

 mously fanned out, and is tilted at all angles in the control 

 of the bird's flight. 



There was no working out the control system of these 

 birds on mathematical lines. They gave one the impression 

 of being poised in the midst of a multitude of opposed 

 blasts, playing on them from every conceivable direction, 

 and to each of which they were sensitive and keenly alert. 

 I noticed specially that very often an arc was achieved 

 simply by the elevating of one wing till it was almost 

 vertical, the other wing remaining more or less parallel 

 with the earth, while the tail was used to correct the 

 constant rocking and tipping of the body. These birds, 

 it is only fair to add, were flying under very difficult 

 conditions — that is, they were flying low over a broken 

 landscape where the wind may be found to be blowing 

 in half a dozen different directions within a hundred 

 yards — nay, at one point, and within the space of a few 

 seconds ! Having watched the buzzards I came to the 

 decision that the study of bird flight can help us little in 

 our own mastery of the air. A bird, at any rate a bird 

 of the soaring variety, is instantly sensitive to every 

 varying current of air, and corrects itself in a different 

 way each time to meet the immediate conditions. There 

 is no rule of thumb about it. Of course its wing spread 

 is comparatively small, but nevertheless no machine 



