BIRDS ON THE WING. Ol 



Quite different is the flight of the familiar blue 

 jays, which seem to make hard work of it, keeping 

 their wings in constant motion, as if their lives de- 

 pended on their continuous efforts. And they do 

 not seem to make very swift progress either, al- 

 though their flight is more rapid and less labored 

 than is apparent at a distance. 



The robin is quite swift on the wing, especially 

 for short flights. For longer efforts, while he 

 moves more rapidly than the blue jay, his passage 

 through the air would not be considered graceful. 

 Yet I have often been surprised, not to say alarmed, 

 at the recklessness of his plunges through the 

 thickest parts of the woods, expecting every mo- 

 ment to see him dash his brains out against an ob- 

 struction ; but, somehow, he contrives to steer his 

 feathered bark safely through the most intricate 

 tangles. 



The like may be said of the little snowbird, 

 which displays wonderful skill in dodging branches 

 and trees, as he dashes like plumed lightning 

 through the woods. But for woodcraft dexterity 

 of this kind the redstart carries the palm. How 

 often have I seen two male redstarts pursuing each 

 other around and around through the dense weft 

 of branches and twigs with a swiftness that the 



