324 The Natural History of Se I borne 



their backs with a loud snap; another variety, called tumblers, 

 turn themselves over in the air. Some birds have movements 

 peculiar to the season of love : thus ringdoves, though strong 

 and rapid at other times, yet in the spring hang about on the 

 wing in a toying and playful manner ; thus the cock-snipe, 

 while breeding, forgetting his former flight, fans the air like 

 the windover; and the green-finch in particular, exhibits 

 such languishing and faltering gestures as to appear like a 

 wounded and dying bird ; the king-fisher darts along like an 

 arrow ; fern-owls, or goat-suckers, glance in the dusk over 

 the tops of trees like a meteor; starlings as it were swim 

 along, while missel-thrushes use a wild and desultory flight ; 

 swallows sweep over the surface of the ground and water, and 

 distinguish themselves by rapid turns and quick evolutions ; 

 swifts dash round in circles ; and the bank-martin moves 

 with frequent vacillations like a butterfly. Most of the 

 small birds fly by jerks, rising and falling as they advance. Most 

 small birds hop ; but wagtails and larks walk, moving their 

 legs alternately. Skylarks rise and fall perpendicularly as 

 they sing ; woodlarks hang poised in the air ; and tit-larks 

 rise and fall in large curves, singing in their descent. The 

 white-throat uses odd jerks and gesticulations over the tops 

 of hedges and bushes. All the duck-kind waddle ; divers and 

 auks walk as if fettered, and stand erect on their tails : these 

 are the compedes of Linnaeus. Geese and cranes, and most 

 wild fowls, move in figured flights, often changing their 

 position. The secondary remiges of Tringae, wild ducks, and 

 some others, are very long, and give their wings, when in 

 motion, an hooked appearance. Dabchicks, moor-hens, and 

 coots fly erect, with their legs hanging down, and hardly 

 make any dispatch ; the reason is plain, their wings are 

 placed too forward out of the true centre of gravity ; as the 

 legs of auks and divers are situated too backward. 



