90 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [JAN. 9, 
Before proceeding to a detailed examination of the apparatus 
of flight in birds, one or two other points may be conveniently 
considered here. In the opening remarks of the first evening’s. 
discussion much was said on the general subject of flight, which 
was well said; yet statements were made respecting the orni- 
thological aspect of the case which showed the speakers to be 
on unfamiliar ground. In speaking of the stroke of the wing 
in an upward direction as being restricted within narrow limits, 
it was said that birds are unable to strike their wings together 
back to back. In point of fact, the movement of a bird’s wing 
at the shoulder is nearly as free as that of a man’s arm, and we 
need only visit the farmyard to see domestic fowls and pigeons 
strike the backs of their wings together. Pigeons often do this. 
with great force. 
The continued sailing of a turkey buzzard shot dead in the 
air, till it reached the ground ata considerable distance from 
the point where it was killed, with its wings still extended, was. 
referred to (as it had already been before the National Academy 
of Sciences, and twice in Science) as a rare phenomenon, and 
also as one readily explained by the new discovery. Instead of 
being rare, it may be said to be an almost every-day occurrence 
with sportsmen who do most of their shooting on the wing. It 
certainly would not be too high to place the average as at least. 
one per cent of birds killed in the air. Neither is it confined 
to soaring birds, nor to birds shot while flying. It has happened 
many times in my own experience in birds shot out of a tree, the 
bird when struck starting to fly and expiring in the air, con- 
tinuing its flight with the wings extended, but immovable, till 
it reached the ground by a very gradual descent dead and with 
the wings still extended. The list of instances would include 
birds of all sizes and groups and manner of flight, from spar- 
rows, warblers, thrushes, titmice and swallows, up to game- 
birds, sea-fowl and birds of prey. How frequent is the remark 
of one sportsman or bird-collector to another: ‘‘ There, you’ve 
hit him hard; watch him ; he has set his wings and is coming 
down; mark him and you’ll get him.” The bird is marked 
down, falling, it may be, hundreds of yards away, and is found 
dead with its wings still extended. 
The soaring of birds has been referred to as an unsolved prob- 
1 Since this was written, the incident of the buzzard has again been 
alluded to in Scienze, this time by Dr. Coues, an ornithologist of unques- 
tionable authority. Dr. Coues declares it has no bearing on the ques- 
tion, such phenomena being the result of rigidity due to nervous 
shock. This is exactly what Mr. Elliot said before this Academy in 
reply to the statement in question. And it is, furthermore, a perfectly 
evident explanation of all such cases. 
