AN ARCADIAN CALENDAR 



the other elevated at the top of its beat. When we can 

 watch the wing-beats of other birds we always find that 

 the two wings work as one. The swift's mode of flight 

 is a series of tremulous beats, followed by a glide on 

 stilled and outspread wings. The almost unmatched 

 speed may be due largely to the freedom of wing-play, 

 which certainly accounts for this bird's marvellous 

 power of checking and turning when in headlong career. 



A PAIR of swallows perched on the ridge of a roof, the 

 cock singing. It was no swallow-flight of 

 A Winged song, but a regular serenade, and as he 

 Figaro kept up his warbling for minutes on end 

 (like a musical version of the creaking of 

 a roller), his hen grew restless. As if she had had enough 

 of his flattery, she fluttered away from his side to the 

 far end of the roof; but he sang on without pause. 

 Suddenly she began working her wings with every 

 show of petulance, and, opening her beak to widest 

 extent, she charged upon her lord and fairly brushed 

 him from his perch. 



CHATTERBOXES 



EVERY hedge has its whitethroat now, and every white- 

 throat calls out against all passers-by: no 

 Trespassers birds are more alert to warn off trespassers. 

 Beware The fledglings add scoldings, snappings 

 and croakings to the parents' protests, as if 

 hedges were made for whitethroats : they are trained 

 from the nest to cry out against mankind. Most em- 

 phatic is the " tchak " note which suggested half the 

 rustic name, Nettlejack, the other half being derived 

 from the warblers' love of a nettlebed. 



68 



