32 THE FLIGHT OF BIRDS 
effectively. The folk#ving table brings out very 
clearly the poverty of the long-legged and the web- 
footed in point of tail. I give first the actual length 
of tail, then the approximate weight of the bird. 
In two cases I have had to take the weight from a 
learned paper by two German ornithologists, and I 
suspect that their hen Sparrow-Hawk was far from 
plump. Lastly I have given the length of tail which 
each of the birds has for one pound of its weight. 
The results are very striking. Were I able to 
give the area of the tails, they would be much 
Length 
of tail 
Bird. Length} Weight for each Notes. 
of tail. of bird. lb. 
weight 
of bird. 
Ins. Ins. 
Sparrow-Hawk (hen)| 8 5°3 oz. 24°] Tail very 
(Legal & broad. 
Reichel)* 
Sparrow-Hawk(cock)| 6:5 5-2 oz. 20 —- 
Lapwing .. 5 a ak | 6°7 oz. 9°8 — 
(Legal & 
Reichel)* 
Wood-Pigeon eal ie 1 lb. 4°25 0z.| 4°7 Tail very 
broad. 
Common Wild-Duck| 4:75 | 1lb.15°70z.| 2°3 Tail 
pointed, 
small in 
area, weak. 
Common Heron 6°5 |31b.0°60z. 2°1 a 
Curlew ss ool, 2°62. | 2 Ib. 4 on, 2°05 — 
* Jahresbericht der Schlesischen Gesellschaft, 1879. 
