36 



Bird Notes and News 



judges. The paper is illustrated with good 

 drawings of the feet and footprints of 

 various birds, and it begins with a descrip- 

 tion of the anatomy of the leg and its 

 structural variety in different bird families. 

 The writer then proceeds: — ] 



The functions of the feet and legs of 

 birds are many ; and they may be roughly 

 divided into three classes: locomotion, 

 prehension, and miscellaneous functions. 



The first class comes under many 

 headings. 



(i.) Walking or Running. 



There is considerable variation in the 

 methods in which different birds walk or 

 run, from the rapid rushes of a Sandpiper 

 to the hurried gait of a Starling or the 

 slow walk of a Heron. In the last-named 

 bird the motions can be very clearly seen. 

 The Heron lifts up its foot above the 

 ground, slowly moves it forwards, carefully 

 spreads out the toes, and deliberately places 

 it on the ground again. But sometimes, 

 when the bird sees any likely-looking prey 

 below it, the foot stops still in mid-course, 

 often for some time, and in the most 

 ridiculous position. A Starling does not 

 lift its feet far above the ground, and as do 

 most walking birds, always turns its toes 

 in. In most birds which haunt the ground 

 a great deal, the first toe is rudimentary, 

 and does not give any support in walking. 

 Such birds as Starlings and Rooks often hop 

 a little when in a hurry ; and habitual 

 hoppers, such as Blackbirds, and occa- 

 sionally Hedge-Sparrows, sometimes run 

 for some distance when pressed by time. 

 This seems to me a somewhat peculiar 

 circumstance. 



(ii.) Hopping. 



It is rather difficult to analyse the motions 

 of a bird in hopping. If a common House- 

 Sparrow is watched, it will be seen to 

 raise itself forwards and upwards a little, 

 partly straightening its ankle joint in so 

 doing. Next it pushes itself up and lifts its 

 feet under it; it then gains the ground once 

 more and repeats the process. A Hedge- 

 Sparrow acts in a similar way, but raises 

 its feet less above the ground, and takes 

 hops of varying length. This gives rise to 

 the well-known shuffling motion of the bird. 



Occasionally a Hedge-Sparrow hops as much 

 as a foot. 



The Chaffinch has a gait of its own. It 

 does not lift its feet far above the ground, 

 and it does not seem to raise both feet 

 simultaneously. They are both in the air 

 at once, but do not leave or reach the 

 ground together. Occasionally the bird 

 takes several typical hops, and often walks 

 a few steps, but a strange combination is its 

 usual practice. The Robin has a cheerful 

 hop, and always points its feet, and 

 especially its legs, outwards. 



(iii.) Wading. 



Wading birds all have long legs, to 

 enable them to walk through fairly deep 

 water, and large feet, to support them on 

 soft mud or sand. A Redshank often wades 

 almost up to its ankle-joints in its search for 

 food. This bird — as, to a much greater 

 extent, the Heron — always walks very slowly 

 through the water, as it thereby encounters 

 less resistance, and does not splash itself. 



(iv.) Climbing. 



The majority of climbing birds have two 

 toes directed backwards. This enables 

 them to obtain a surer grip on rough 

 surfaces. The climbing of a Parrot is very 

 different from that of a Woodpecker. The 

 former grasps the branches of its tree ; the 

 latter hangs on to them. Some birds hop- 

 climb, while others walk-climb. Most of 

 the birds of the Parrot's habits walk. A 

 Nuthatch does a straightforward hop, while 

 the actions of a Tree-creeper in ascending 

 a tree are most suggestive of those of a 

 Hedge-Sparrow on the ground. 



(v.) Swimming. 



All birds which swim constantly have 

 more or less webbed or lobed feet. Except 

 those which have all four toes directed 

 forwards, there are few swimming birds 

 which have fully-developed first toes. 

 Most habitual swimmers, moreover, have 

 their legs placed far back on their bodies, 

 as they gain by this more power in 

 swimming. 



Such birds as Auks, Cormorants, and 

 Penguins are compelled by this arrangement 

 always to sit bolt upright, while the true 

 Divers even have great difficulty in walking 

 on land. Most swimming birds, as 



