IlS BIRD-LIFE IN A SOUTHERN COUNTY. 



number of legs. A Starling with one foot missing 

 has visited my back garden for several winters 

 a strong, vigorous fellow too, able to take his own 

 part and obtain a full share of the food spread 

 specially for my bird guests. There are many 

 similar instances of crippled birds on record. 



Speaking of the legs of birds brings up a 

 question in which we have taken considerable 

 interest, and that is the position in which they 

 are held during flight in the various species. 

 This may seem a simple matter, yet it is one in 

 which not only great ignorance amongst ordinary 

 people prevails, but considerable diversity of 

 opinion amongst experts too. We may be mis- 

 taken, but we have some dim remembrance of 

 reading somewhere that the legs of all birds are 

 held under the tail, or pointing astern, during 

 flight, and that pictures of birds on the wing 

 showing the legs held in any other position are 

 wrongly drawn. In the first place it is well to 

 remember that the greatest difficulty is experi- 

 enced in deciding the question one way or the 

 other, especially amongst the Passeres. Their 

 movements in the air are very rapid, the legs are 

 short and concealed at once amongst the plumage, 



