Vol. XXVI 

 1909 



Townsend, Position of Birds' Feet in Flight. 115 



Macrochires. To determine the position of the feet during 

 flight in the Goatsuckers, Swifts and Hummingbirds is a difficult 

 problem, owing to the smallness of the feet and the habits of flight 

 in this order, and I have no observations of my own to record. 

 Finley has taken a photograph of a Hummingbird hovering about a 

 flower in which the feet are in front. A photograph by Chapman 

 (5 1 ) shows the same state of things. It is possible, however, that 

 in full flight the feet may be extended behind. This order may 

 therefore be put in the undetermined list. 



Passeres. The great order of perching birds alone remains, 

 and it would seem natural that they should carry the feet in front 

 as they fly from place to place, so as to be ready to seize their perch. 

 As far as I know, this is the case. Barrett-Hamilton (3) gives a 

 list of several passerine birds in whom he has observed the forward 

 position of the feet, including the English Blackbird, Raven, 

 Rook, and others of the Crow family. The Crow is our largest 

 common Passerine bird, but its black color of plumage and feet 

 makes it difficult to observe on the point in question. A Crow, 

 in rising on the wing, often lets its feet hang at first, and then draws 

 them up in front in an exceedingly leisurely manner. When well 

 under way the feet are close against the breast, and are held 

 there, I am inclined to believe, even in long flights, for I have several 

 times observed Crows at Ipswich from a point in the dunes or beach 

 where I could follow their flight for a long distance, and, as they 

 passed me, their feet were always in front. I have notes of a Crow 

 migrating along the beach one April day, flying slowly, and showing 

 plainly the feet held in front, but dropped slightly so that daylight 

 could be seen between them and the breast. This I have seen in 

 other cases also. The feet are often held so close to the breast 

 that only the clenched toes can be seen, while in other cases the 

 feet seem to be entirely buried in the feathers. That excellent 

 observer, Edmund Selous (18), gives a drawing of flying Ravens in 

 which the feet are drawn up in front. 



Other passerine birds, where I have been able to see the feet when 

 the bird was in full flight, are: Red- winged Blackbird, Bronzed 

 Grackle, English Sparrow, Eave, Tree and Barn Swallows, and 

 Robin. In all of these the feet were carried in front. 



