BRITISH ZOOLOGISTS. 1 17 



ground. When this odd gesture betides them, they are 

 scratching themselves with one foot, and thus lose the 

 centre of gravity. Rooks sometimes dive and tumble in 

 a frolicsome manner; crows and daws swagger in their 

 walk ; woodpeckers fly volatu undosa, opening and closing 

 their wings at every stroke, and so are always rising and 

 falling in curves. All of this genus use their tails, which 

 incline downwards, as a support while they run up trees. 

 Parrots, like all hooked-clawed birds, walk awkwardly, 

 and make use of their bill as a third foot, climbing and 

 descending with ridiculous caution. All the Gallinse 

 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 despatch ; herons seem encumbered 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 particularly 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 a windhover ; and the greenfinch, in particular, 

 exhibits such languishing and faltering gestures as to 

 appear like a wounded and dying bird. The kingfisher 

 darts along like an arrow; fern-owls, or goatsuckers, 

 glance in the dusk over the tops of trees like a meteor ; 



