260 FLIGHT OF BIRDS. 



seem to want ballast. There is a peculiarity 

 belonging to ravens that must draw the attention 

 even of the most incurious they spend all their 

 leisure time in striking and cuffing each other on 

 the wing in a kind of playful skirmish ; and when 

 they move from one place to another, frequently 

 turn on their backs with a loud croak, and seem 

 to be falling to the ground. When this odd 

 gesture betides them, they are scratching them- 

 selves with one foot, and thus lose the centre of 

 gravity. Rooks sometimes dive and tumble in a 

 frolicsome manner 1 ; crows and daws swagger 

 in their walk ; woodpeckers fly volatu undoso, 

 opening and closing their wings at every stroke, 

 and so are always rising or falling in curves. All 

 of this genus use their tails, which incline down- 

 ward, as a support while they run up trees. 

 Parrots, like all ether 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 grace- 

 fully, 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, 

 arid 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 ring-doves, though 



1 In some parts of Scotland, this is said and believed to be 

 the forerunner of stormy weather. W. J. 



