50 Poachers and Poaching. 



the possibility of birds resting on the wing. An 

 American naturalist asserts that birds of prey and 

 some others have the power to lock securely 

 together those parts of the wing holding the 

 extended feathers, and corresponding to the 

 fingers of the human hand. The action of the 

 air on the wing in this condition extends the 

 elbow, which is prevented from opening too far 

 by a cartilage, and the wings may keep this 

 position for an indefinite length of time, with no 

 muscular action whatever on the part of the bird. 

 While resting in this way, the bird cannot rise 

 in a still atmosphere ; but if there be a horizon- 

 tal current, it may allow itself to be carried along 

 by it, with a slight tendency downward, and so 

 gain a momentum by which, with a slight change 

 of direction, it may rise to some extent, still 

 without muscular action of the wings. This 

 same naturalist also believes it quite possible for 

 birds to sleep on the wing. As bearing on this 

 subject, Professor J. S. Newbury asserts that he 

 once shot a bird which came slowly to the 

 ground as if still flying, but reached it dead. He 

 believed that it had died high in the air ; but 

 had never been able to account for the manner 

 of its descent till now, when he found an explana- 

 tion in the statement just given. 



Thousands of gold-crests annually cross and 

 recross the North Sea at the wildest periods 

 of the year, and unless the weather is rough 



