FLIGHT IN SONG 81 



on the wing, and descend with a sweeping flight on 

 wide-extended wings. It is possible that songs are 

 uttered more easily when the wings are moved 

 slowly ; but however this may be, there is no doubt 

 that many male birds sing while on the wing. Chats, 

 warblers, finches, buntings, and pipits have been 

 observed to fly when singing. Some birds, such as 

 the common bunting and wood-warbler, habitually 

 shiver the wings when singing rapid notes ; and 

 this suggests that the shiver referred to is caused 

 by the movements of the lungs ; as already stated, 

 these, in many phrases, seem to be similar to those 

 which occur during human laughter. Mr. Hudson 

 describes the extraordinary song -flight of the 

 crested screamer, a bird of about the size of our 

 heron. He says : " The chakars, like the skylark, 

 love to soar upwards when singing, and at such 

 times, when they have risen till their dark bodies 

 appear like floating specks on the blue sky, or until 

 they disappear from sight altogether, the notes 

 become wonderfully etherealised by distance to a 

 soft silvery sound, and it is then very delightful to 

 listen to them. The chakar, ... so ponderous a 

 fowl, leaves its grass plot and soars purely for 

 recreation, taking so much pleasure in its aerial 

 exercises that in bright warm weather in winter and 



