184 JOTTINGS ABOUT BIRDS. 



had the painter possessed even small knowledge of 

 the habits and economy of the Eagle and the Swan. 

 Then I noticed an interesting picture of startled 

 Wild Ducks (Anas boschas) flying from the reeds, 

 which may be aptly taken as an illustration of 

 another error into which most painters fall when 

 portraying a bird in the act of flight. Even if the 

 bird be fairly well poised in the air we generally 

 find that the wings are not placed correctly, but 

 usually with the innermost secondaries at some 

 distance from the body. Did this space exist in 

 nature much of the motive power of flight would 

 be lost by allowing the air to escape through it, 

 instead of forming an unbroken line of resistance. 

 But no such waste occurs, and during flight the 

 scapulars and innermost secondaries fit close to the 

 body, furnishing considerable support to the bird 

 and resistance to the atmosphere. A bird's wing is 

 admirably formed for the purpose of flight, as any 

 one may see who cares to take the trouble of 

 making an examination ; and to paint this beautiful 

 structure in a distorted, unnatural position is to 

 sacrifice any artistic merits a picture may possess to 

 the want of the merest rudiments of ornithological 

 knowledge. Another indoor-study of Wild Ducks, 

 for it could never certainly have been taken from the 



