I. THE ROBIN. 27 



credit to his legs in this matter. A robin's 

 hop- is half a flight ; he hops, very essentially, 

 with wings and tail, as well as with his feet, 

 ^nd the exquisitely rapid opening and quivering 

 of the tail-feathers certainly give half the force 

 to his leap. It is in this action that he is put 

 among the motacillae, or wagtails ; but the 

 ornithologists have no real business to put 

 him among them. The swing of the long 

 tail-feathers in the true wagtail is entirely con- 

 sequent on its motion, not impulsive of it — 

 the tremulous shake is after alighting. But 

 the robin leaps with wing, tail, and foot, all in 

 time, and all helping each other. Leaps, I say ; 

 and you check at the word; and ought to 

 check: you look at a bird hopping, and the 

 motion is so much a matter of course, you 

 never think how it is done. But do you think 

 you would find it easy to hop like a robin if 

 you had two — all but wooden — legs, like this ? 

 26. I have looked wholly in vain through 

 all my books on birds, to find some account 

 of the muscles it uses in hopping, and of the 

 part of the toes with which the spring is given. 

 I must leave you to find out that for your- 

 selves; it is a little bit of anatomy which I 



