NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 229 



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 gallince 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 particu- 

 larly 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-finch in particular, exhibits such 

 languishing and faltering gestures as to appear like a wounded and 

 dying bird ; the king-fisher darts along like an arrow ; fern-owls, or 

 goat-suckers, glance in the dusk over the tops of trees like a 

 meteor ; starlings as it were swim along, while missel-thrushes use 

 a wild and desultory flight ; swallows sweep over the surface of the 



