222 FLIGHT OF BIRDS. 



windhover, has a peculiar mode of hanging in the air in one 

 place, his wings all the while being briskly agitated. Hen- 

 harriers fly low over heaths or fields of corn, and beat the 

 ground regularly like a pointer or setting-dog. Owls move in 

 a buoyant manner, as if lighter than the air ; they 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 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 undoso, 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 downward, as a support while they run up trees. 

 Parrots, like all other 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 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 ring-doves, 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 the 

 windhover ; and the greenfinch, in particular, exhibits such 

 languishing and faltering gestures as to appear like a w r ounded 

 and dying bird ; the king-fisher darts along like an arrow ; 

 fern-owls, or goat-suckers, glance in the dust over the tops 

 of trees like a meteor ; starlings, as it were, swim along, while 

 missel-thrushes use a wild and desultory flight ; swallows 



* Mr Swainson is of opinion, that this movement is indicative of 

 pleasure or excitement. Ei>. 



