26 BIRD BEHAVIOUR 



The Frigate-bird is, however, a better starter 

 than the Albatross, being able to " take oflE " at 

 once. The easiest of all starters are the Gulls, 

 for they can spring up from a sitting position if 

 they like,* without troubling to rise to their feet. 

 When Swifts start off the ground, they seem to 

 " take off " with their wings, like Bats when simi- 

 larly situated ; the idea that they cannot thus 

 rise is certainly erroneous so far as the common 

 House-Swift of India {Cypselus affinis) is concerned, 

 as I have proved by repeated experiments. With 

 regard to the power of springing up vertically at 

 the start, the Game-birds are unrivalled, on account 

 of their muscular power both in legs and wings. 



The best settlers seem to be the Hawks ; it is 

 delightful to observe one of these birds just glide 

 up to a perch and touch it at exactly the right 

 moment, no final flapping being required ; such 

 accuracy of action being no doubt a necessary 

 accomplishment in birds which have to grasp food 

 when in flight and avoid injuring themselves by 

 concussion in so doing. But such skill has to be 

 acquired with practice j; I have seen a young Kite 

 in India plunge up to its belly in a pond when 

 picking up an object which an old one would 

 have skimmed off with hardly a ripple. As a 

 contrast to the skill of the Hawks, we may take the 

 awkwardness of the Grebes, which trail their legs 

 even when alighting and strike the water anyhow; 



I am sorry I never noted what, if any, difference 

 there is between young and old Kites in the matter 



