50 WILD BIRDS 



though they never disappoint if you watch simply 

 to enjoy. 



But take up the rowing feather and there you 

 have it. The secret is out ! secret of the most 

 glorious, effective, graceful feat of any living thing. 

 The grand principle is clear the ring dove has 

 cleared it ! But still we are only at the beginning 

 of the secret. We are in the dark as to so many 

 important phases of flight. How does the air itself 

 act ? In what forms does it flow or curl ? How 

 exactly is it worked up by the wing of the flier ? 

 Then as to the feats of sailing on extended wing 

 spirally into the heights miles high as the condor 

 is said to spire and as to swiftly changing the plane 

 of flight and the direction of flight, and as to the 

 hovering feats we know as yet next to nothing of 

 all these. As to this last, we do know that the 

 commanding figure of eight plays a great part, acts 

 as if it were a buoy in the air for the bird or insect 

 hoverer. But why ? Why does the eight hold 

 the flier in leash, giving way to single loops and to 

 a mere " waved track " through space when the 

 flier darts forward again ? What is the masterful 

 restraining virtue in their eight of flight that all 

 the birds and insects must cut it accurately to float 

 at anchor in the air ? 



REAL SECOND SIGHT 



Writing lately of the " map in the brain ot the 

 bird " reminded me of a page in Aris Willmott's 

 long-forgotten book, " Journal of Summer Time in 



