CHAPTER VI. 



STOPPING AND ALIGHTING. 



A bird alights without any jar. Let us imagine 

 that when we first catch sight of him he is flying at 

 some height above the ground. Wishing to descend, 

 he will give his wings an upward slope and float down 

 in the style usually preferred by Pigeons, or more 

 probably he will slant his body, from tail to head, 

 downwards and, partly flexing his wings, glide rapidly 

 towards the earth. On nearing his landing place he 

 will suddenly let his hind- quarters sink, and give 

 his body an upward incline ; his wings, spread wide, 

 present their whole under-surface to the air. This 

 soon checks his momentum. But if he wants to 

 make a very sudden stop he gives a stroke with his 

 wings, and this, when the body is nearly upright, 

 as a glance at one of the photographs {see PI. x) 

 that illustrate the process will show, must bring him 

 at once to a standstill. And just after landing, 

 perhaps (notably if he is a Tern, a Lapwing or a 

 Pigeon) he will raise his wings high above his head 

 as if to stretch and refresh the muscles, in which 

 attitude he looks very beautiful. A beautiful thing, 

 too, is the folding of the wings ; it is all so quickly 

 and so neatly done. A Tern or even a Pigeon when 

 he alights has all the grace of the " Herald Mercury, 

 new lighted on a heaven-kissing hill." 



