president's addeess. 187 



frozen to the ground. Neither the skylark, nor any of its conge- 

 ners, could roost upon the ground, as they do, in winter, and in 

 rainy, windy weather, without the support of such a heel. They 

 would be frozen to the ground. For they are diurnal birds, and 

 sleep soundly at night. They do not keep shifting their position, 

 like the wakeful peewit and gold-plover, the dotterels, etc., nor 

 can they betake themselves to hedges, like the buntings, when 

 the ground is wet. Hence I take the liberty of reading the les- 

 son of the lark's heel in my own way, heedless of all that evo- 

 lution has yet adduced, however interesting. The pipits and 

 the wagtails are enabled, by their heel-claws, to face the wind 

 upon naked rocks and on the roofs of houses, during the daytime, 

 with wonderful success. 



It might not be out of place to record here some evidence of the 

 power that is possessed by the birds denominated waders, — all 

 the tribes of charadrius, tringa, totanus, scolopax, and the like, — 

 to save themselves from inundations by swimming, like duck- 

 lings, whilst they are in the young and tender state, that is, 

 mere chicks, or if more advanced, still unable to fly. Without 

 wasting words to demonstrate this, which will not be questioned, 

 let me mention a remarkable instance of adult birds reposing 

 upon the sea, which fell under my notice some years ago. It 

 was during a passage by steamer down the western coast of 

 Spain and the coast of Portugal, in the latter part of September. 

 We were some six or seven miles from the coast, the cliffs, 

 shores, and bays of which were all perfectly visible through the 

 pearly summer haze of the climate ; the weather serene, the sea 

 unruffled, but heaving majestically with a grand long easy swell 

 from the westward. The gannets from our own British coasts 

 were in great force already thus early, but still more interesting 

 were the easy muscular flight and graceful sweeping evolutions 

 of numerous birds which I believe to have been shearwaters in 

 the immature plumage. 



Yet what was very remarkable was to see birds of our shore- 

 plover and sandpiper tribes reposing quietly upon the sea, 

 as if to enjoy their day-slumber; and this was observable for 

 a long time as we went along, though the birds were not very 



