THE OOLOGIST 



19 



them more than was necessary, they 

 have always been deserted. The nests 

 are so well shielded from the elements 

 by the bark, that they last for several 

 years as they are not likely to be de- 

 stroyed, so long as the bark remains at- 

 tached to the trunk. 



C. H. MoKRELL, Hittsfield. Me. 



The Movements of Birds. 



The movements of our birds on the 

 ground, in the trees and air, or on or 

 in the water, are very interesting to the 

 observer, and in themselves form a 

 vast field for observation. Many birds 

 may be compared with man and this is 

 often done in relation to habit and so- 

 cial attributes; and we may also make 

 comparison in regard to movements; 

 more particularly concerning ground 

 exercise. We are all apt to form an 

 opinion of a person from watching his 

 style of locomotion; and it is a common 

 occurrance to remark on the probabili- 

 ties of a passing pedestrian's worth if we 

 see a prompt step and active move- 

 ments. Among the birds we will find 

 that there is a greater variation in the 

 styles of moving about than there is be- 

 tween the professional pedestrian and 

 the neighborhood lazy man. Yet we 

 find that the lazy man is at least equal- 

 ly entitled to a living with the rapid 

 stepper. The principal of "survival of 

 the fittest" evidently favors the slow 

 man, for it may be said in all truth that 

 he generally outlives the active man. 

 In the economy of nature we will see 

 that those of slow movement's evidently 

 have a place to fill in life's scope, and 

 that the active and strong of limb, 

 though trotting in a different class, 

 have no wonderful advantage over the 

 lame and halt, if advantage is taken by 

 the handicapped of the opportunities 

 presented. We may say that we have 

 the making of our lives, yet at the same 

 time it does seem that some power has 

 the whole scheme "cut and dried" for 



us before hand. The remarkable ac- 

 tivity of the lizard, known as the swift 

 in no way better provides for its wants 

 than do the clumsy movements of the 

 common toad. 



Among birds, a great variation of 

 movements exist, and perhaps in no 

 department in nature, unless we ex- 

 cept the insects, shall we find so many 

 interesting features. Most birds pro- 

 gress by flight — but some never leave 

 the ground; others rarely leave the wa- 

 ter and can barely waddle on land and 

 cannot fly, and still others can fly, run 

 a"nd swim with grace, but this division 

 is small. If we should forma classifi- 

 cation on the forms of flying, swimming 

 and running, the present system would 

 be sadly entangled. 



First come the foot movements, and 

 we will begin with the perchers. In 

 the Robin we have an undignified hop- 

 per or jumper. The Thrushes are all 

 hoppers, while the Sparrows hop, or 

 else progress by a rapid trot. Most of 

 the Warblers hop, and all small birds 

 will use their wings to increase their 

 speed when searching on the ground 

 on foot. The Gnatcatchers are hoppers, 

 as are also the Ruby-crowned and 

 Golden-crested Kinglets, but they often 

 hang head down after the manner of 

 the Chickadee. The Nuthatches move 

 by hops on the ground as does also the 

 Black-and-white Creeper, but these 

 birds never creep even when on the 

 bark of the tree, although we call them 

 by that name; for creeping, is to place 

 one foot before the other, as we under- 

 stand it. Of the large Warbler family 

 I have had good opportunities to smdy 

 about thirty species and have noted 

 marked variations. Nearly all of the 

 members of this family progress by 

 hops, but the Water Thrushes and 

 Oven-bird walk with great stdateness. 

 It is a very interesting sight to observe 

 an Oven-bird move about. I was 

 watchirg one, one day when it disap- 

 peared in a small hillock of leaves. 



