THE OOLOGIST 



67 



The Movements of Birds. 



(second paper.) 

 In the air the typical bird is at its 

 best, and all birds on this globe use 

 their wings in travelling. The Ostrich 

 fl,nd others of the cursores which are 

 not able to raise their bodies from the 

 ground, make good use of their wings 

 to assist them in running, while the 

 Penguins are said to use their abbreviat- 

 ed pinions in their movements beneath 

 the surface of the water. Figuier says 

 that birds can swim, so-to-speak, in the 

 air, and it may be said that birds may 

 literally fly in the water; which 1 have 

 witnessed on more than one occasion, 

 where the birds used their wings in 

 their efforts at escape. 



At the Aerial Navigation Congress 

 held in Chicago in '93, I am informed, 

 a paper was read on "The Mechanics 

 of Flight," and the writer of the paper 

 sought to compare the movements of 

 birds on the wing with man's efforts to 

 soar. We might with equal propriety 

 discuss the anatomical construction of 

 the Angel's wing, or the mythological 

 feats of Daedalus in escaping from the 

 labyrinth. For the term ' 'Mechanics 

 of Flight" is wholly inappropriate in its 

 entire significance, to the movements of 

 birds on the wing. It savors of pre- 

 sumption in offering the efforts of 

 strictly terrestrial creatures in com- 

 parison with the smooth soaring of 

 many species of birds. Becanse we are 

 able to demonstrate the principle of the 

 boy's kite, a string and a current of air, 

 it seems preposterous to me to attempt 

 a comparison of the eagle's flight to this 

 poor contrivance, and mechanically 

 human illustration. We might as well 

 compare the build of a fish with the 

 scientific requirements of a boats' shape. 

 All know that a fish turns belly up 

 when dead in the water, and a boat 

 built on the fishes model would upset. 

 This has been repeatedly proven. 

 Now has it not occurred to most of 



us that animals have different spheres, 

 and may be away beyond our under- 

 standing in many respects? Certainly; 

 and we should be willing to admit this 

 in the case of our dear birds;"the spoiled 

 children of nature and favorites of 

 creation"— as Figuier so beautifully calls 

 them. In this age of liberal thought, 

 when the study of the soul is denomi- 

 nated a science, and therie are those 

 who write on birds and mammals in 

 their psychological relations, will it be 

 improper to admit birds possess at- 

 tributes, physiological processes and 

 chemical affinities, which are not 

 understood by man and possibly never 

 will be. This seems most reasonable to 

 me, and I accept it as truth as readily 

 as the acknowledgement is made that 

 we fail to comprehend the principle 

 which enables the dog to follow a track 

 by what we term the principle of scent. 

 We all know that there are thousands 

 of animals which have a power of vision 

 far superior to that possessed by man; 

 while hearing, feeling and smelling are 

 likewise developed to a much higher 

 degree, in cases well understood. But 

 in addition to this superiority in under- 

 stood sense perception, there are sev- 

 eral other channels of perception open 

 to these so-called subordinates, which 

 man does not possess, or possesses to so 

 slight a degree as to make him incap- 

 able of appreciating and identifying. 

 There are various senses which are 

 markedly developed in many of the 

 vertebrates, down to the lowest forms 

 of animal life, and of which we have no 

 comprehension in ourselves, and can- 

 not appreciate or identify because of 

 our lack. For instance, there is a sense 

 of direction, as in the case of the dog 

 and cat, which when carried from 

 home will return unassisted. This 

 little understood sense is developed in 

 all the orders of animal life, and many 

 insect forms, even in the larval (blind) 

 state give evidence of strong powers in 

 this line of life requirements. Surely, 



