250 BIRDS OF THE SEA AND THE SHORE. 



all the peculiarities of their movements. I have alluded 

 to the descent of Snow-Buntings upon the landscape 

 as singularly beautiful ; but the motions of a flock of 

 Quails, when feeding in an open space in a wood or 

 when suddenly alarmed, are equally interesting. When 

 a Dove or a Swallow takes flight, its progress through 

 the air is so rapid and the motions of its wings so un- 

 discernible as to injure the beauty of its flight. We 

 hardly observe anything so much as its rapidity. It is 

 quite otherwise with the Quail. The body of this bird 

 is plump and heavy and its wings short, with a peculiar 

 concavity of the under surface when expanded. The 

 motions of the wings are very rapid, and, having but 

 little sweep, the bird seems to hang in the air, and is car- 

 ried along moderately by a rapid vibration of the wings, 

 describing about half a circle. Hence we see the shape 

 of the bird during its flight. 



Birds of prey are remarkable for their steady and 

 graceful flight. The motions of their wings are slow, 

 but they are capable of propelling themselves through the 

 air with great rapidity. The circumgyrations of a Hawk, 

 when reconnoitring far aloft in the heavens, are very 

 picturesque, and have been used at all times to give char- 

 acter to certain landscape scenes in painting. A single 

 picturesque attitude is sufficient to suggest a whole series 

 of movements to one who has frequently watched them. 

 The Raven and Crow are slow in their flight, which is 

 apparently difficult. Hence these birds are easily over- 

 taken and annoyed by smaller birds, which are ever 

 watchful for an occasion to attack them without danger. 

 Crows are not formed, like Falcons, to take their prey on 

 the wing, and they cannot perform those graqeful and 

 difficult evolutions that distinguish the flight of birds of 

 prey. 



Small birds of the Sparrow tribe and some others gen- 



