122 BIEDS 



a marvel of precision in collective movement, hundreds 

 of birds, close together, turning and wheeling with one 

 impulse, and never a collision ; the daily excursions of 

 domestic pigeons and of teal and wild duck in wide circles 

 round and round their nesting haunts ; the beautiful up- 

 ward gyrations of storks, vultures, peregrines, and most 

 of the raptores are instances. Seagulls and all the 

 swallow tribe spend most of the day on the wing, far 

 beyond the efforts necessary to win their living, and 

 apparently for the joy of exercise. Wydah birds will 

 hover in one spot for a long time, for no other discernible 

 purpose than to show off their plumage. The classical 

 definition of pleasure being the unhindered exercise of our 

 natural faculties is upheld by most animals, domestic as 

 well as wild. By the way, skylarks, as is well known, are 

 not the only birds that sing on the wing ; woodlarks and 

 pipits usually do, and other kinds occasionally. 



G. A. MOMBER. 



September 1, 1906. 



NOTE. Wheatear, whinchat, stonechat, whitethroat, 

 goldcrest, pied wagtail, swallow, martin, goldfinch, linnet, 

 greenfinch, green woodpecker, cuckoo, tawny owl all 

 sing often or sometimes on the wing. Mr. Member does 

 not mention the corporate air-designs of dunlin, who not 

 only conduct the most intricate flight-manoeuvres as one 

 bird, but swing their bodies over from side to side simul- 

 taneously when they turn, exposing a uniform dark or 

 white. I would say not that many, but that all birds 

 which can fly enjoy the wings they wave, so to speak. 



THE WAGTAIL 



The pied or water wagtail is certainly " dish-washer " 

 not ditch-watcher (Spectator, February 7). It haunts the 

 neighbourhood of clear, shallow streams. Being as kindly 

 regarded as the robin and the wren, it is, like them, 



