202 THE NATURAL HISTORY 



LETTER XLII 



TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES BARRINGTON 



"Omnibus animalibus reliquis certus et uniusmodi, et in suo cuique 

 genere incessus est : aves soke vario meatu feruntur, et in terra, et 

 in aere." — Plin. Hist. Nat. lib. x. cap. 38. 



Selborne, Aug 7, 1778. 

 Dear Sir, 



A GOOD ornithologist should be able to distinguish birds 

 by their air as well as by their colours and shape ; on the 

 ground as well as on the wing, and in the bush as well as in 

 the hand. For, though it must not be said that every species 

 of birds has a manner peculiar to itself, yet there is some- 

 what in most genera at least, that at first sight discriminates 

 them, and enables a judicious observer to pronounce upon 

 them with some certainty. Put a bird in motion 



" — — Et vera incessu patuit — — — — " 



Thus kites and buzzards sail round in circles with wings 

 expanded and motionless ; and it is from their gliding 

 manner that the former are still cailed in the north of 

 England gleads, from the Saxon verb glidan to glide. 

 The kestrel, or wind-hover, has a peculiar mode of hang- 

 ing in the air in one place, his wings all the while being 

 briskly agitated. Hen-harriers fly low over heaths or 

 fields of corn, and beat the ground regularly like a 

 pointer or setting-dog. Owls move in a buoyant manner, 

 as if lighter than the air ; they seem to want ballast. 

 There is a peculiarity belonging to ravens that must draw 

 the attention even of the most incurious — they spend all 

 their leisure time in striking and cuffing each other on the 

 wing in a kind of playful skirmish ; and, when they move 

 from one place to another, frequently turn on their backs 

 with a loud croak, and seem to be falling to the ground. 

 When this odd gesture betides them, they are scratching 

 themselves with one foot, and thus lose the centre of 

 gravity. Rooks sometimes dive and tumble in a frolic- 



