Extracts from Diary of Otto Widmann 55 



as in beautiful gyrations. Most other birds have to keep 

 their wings in constant motion, some with long, measured 

 wing-strokes, others beating the air as fast as they can. 

 The members of whole families are easily recognized by 

 their flight, as, for instance, the Woodpeckers, which alter- 

 nately close and open their wings and thereby fall and 

 rise at intervals. The flight of the Bluejay seems to cost 

 the bird much effort and the bird knows he is not a fast 

 flier ; when going great distances as in migration he keeps 

 as much as possible over tree tops in order to take ready 

 refuge in case of danger. The Robin is a swift flyer, 

 more rapid than the Blackbirds, from which it is easily 

 distinguished when they are flying together to a conmion 

 roost. The Song Sparrow can easily be known from 

 other ground Sparrows in its flight from one thicket to 

 another, as can the Goldfinch be recognized by its 

 undulatory flight accompanied by a sweet note with every 

 bound through the air. 



Good flyers have the advantage of being able to indulge 

 in the pleasure of aggregating in large masses, impossi- 

 ble to their lesser agile fellow creatures. Thousands of 

 Swifts, Swallows, Robins, Blackbirds, Crows and others 

 of equal flying power can spend the nights together and 

 find sufficient food the next day by spreading over hun- 

 dreds of square miles, if necessary. All birds have the 

 social instinct well developed, even Hawks and Owls flock 

 in migration and roost together, but the comparatively 

 feebly winged Sparrows and Warblers may hold together 

 only a few dozens of their kind without endangering their 

 food supply. 



When not in the air the Swift is found clinging to the 

 wall of a hollow tree, a chimney flue or a rough board in 

 the attic of a house, in a barn or shed or deserted build- 

 ing, and we must admire the courage of the little bird in 

 risking its life by entering and descending into dark 

 places to depths to which no other bird, not even an Owl, 

 would dare to penetrate. 



