3io The Natural History of Selborne 



Thus kites and buzzards sail round in circles with wings ex- 

 panded and motionless ; and it is from their gliding manner that 

 the former are still called in the north of England gleads, from the 

 Saxon verb glidan, to glide. The kestrel, or windover, has a 

 peculiar mode of hanging in the air in one place, his wings all the 

 while being briskly agitated. Hen-harriers fly low over heaths or 

 fields of corn, and beat the ground regularly like a pointer or 

 setting-dog. Owls move in a buoyant manner, as if lighter than the 

 air ; they seem to want ballast. There is a peculiarity belonging to 

 ravens that must draw the attention even of the most incurious 

 they spend all their leisure time in striking and cuffing each other 

 on the wing in a kind of playful skirmish ; and, when they move 

 from one place to another, frequently turn on their backs with a 

 loud croak, and seem to be falling to the ground. When this odd 

 gesture betides them, they are scratching themselves with one foot, 

 and thus lose the centre of gravity. Rooks sometimes dive and 

 tumble in a frolicksome manner ; crows and daws swagger in their 

 walk ; woodpeckers fly volatu undoso^ opening and closing their 

 wings at every stroke, and so are always rising or falling in curves. 

 All of this genus use their tails, which incline downward, as a support 

 while they run up trees. Parrots, like all other hooked-clawed 

 birds, walk awkwardly, and make use of their bill as a third foot, 

 climbing and descending with ridiculous caution. All the galling 

 parade and walk gracefully, and run nimbly ; but fly with difficulty, 

 with an impetuous whirring, and in a straight line. Magpies and 

 jays flutter with powerless wings, and make no dispatch ; herons 

 seem incumbered with too much sail for their light bodies, but these 

 vast hollow wings are necessary in carrying burdens, such as large 

 fishes and the like ; pigeons, and particularly the sort called smiters, 

 have a way of clashing their wings the one against the other over 

 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 windhover ; and the green- 



