vii FLIGHT 243 



The skilled performers are Pelicans, Vultures, Storks, 

 and, perhaps the finest of all, the Adjutant Birds. 

 Under different circumstances the last-named may be 

 seen at the Zoological Gardens, looking lethargic and 

 far from athletic, their length of leg more apparent than 

 their mighty spread of wing. They rise the first 100 — 

 200 feet by their wings, and then, apparently without 

 the faintest suspicion of a wing-beat, sweep round in 

 spirals, or what is more properly called a helix, gaining 

 ten to twenty feet, it is estimated, with each gyration, 

 the wing and tail being rigidly extended and the 

 primary feathers separated. During the first part of 

 each turn of the helix they are flying with the wind, 

 their direction being slightly downward ; at the 

 end of the descent they sweep round and face the 

 wind, which carries them upward. When the curve 

 described is towards the left, the right wing points 

 upward and the left downward, but the two wings 

 always form one rigid rod, and only move with the 

 body (see p. 250). 



In this way they attain an elevation of one or two 

 miles, and so restful does this upward circling appear 

 that Mr. Peal is of opinion that they go aloft to doze. 

 There is always a wind at the time, generally from 

 the N.E. or S.W., blowing steadily at a rate of five to 

 ten miles an hour, and since the plain presents a dead 

 level of 200 miles by 60, the direction of the current 

 can hardly be upward. When there is no wind there 

 is no soaring. It is remarkable that there is always 

 a considerable loss of leeway. This description agrees 

 in all essential points with that given by other 

 observers. 



K 2 



