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some manner ; crows and daws swagger in their walk ; 

 wood-peckers fly volatu undoso, opening and closing their 

 wings at every stroke, and so are always rising or falling 

 in curves. All of this genus use their tails, which incline 

 downward, as a support while they run up trees. Parrots, 

 like all other hooked-clawed birds, walk awkwardly, and 

 make use of their bill as a third foot, cUmbing and ascend- 

 ing with ridiculous caution. All the gallinae parade and 

 walk gracefully, and run nimbly; but fly with difficulty, 

 with an impetuous whirring, and in a straight line. Magpies 

 and jays flutter with powerless wings, and make no dispatch ; 

 herons seem incumbered with too much sail for their light 

 bodies ; but these vast hollow wings are necessary in carry- 

 ing burdens, such as large fishes, and the like ; pigeons, and 

 particularly the sort called smiters, have a way of clashing 

 their wings the one against the other over their backs with 

 a loud snap ; another variety called tumblers turn them- 

 selves over in the air. Some birds have movements 

 peculiar to the season of love : thus ring-doves, though 

 strong and rapid at other times, yet in the spring hang 

 about on the wing in a toying and playful manner ; thus 

 the cock-snipe, while breeding, forgetting his former flight, 

 fans the air like the wind-hover ; and the green-finch 

 in particular exhibits such languishing and faltering 

 gestures as to appear like a wounded and dying bird ; the 

 king-fisher darts along like an arrow ; fern-owls, or goat- 

 suckers, glance in the dusk over the tops of trees like 

 a meteor : starlings as it were swim along, while missel- 

 thrushes use a wild and desultory flight ; swallows sweep 

 over the surface of the ground and water, and distinguish 

 themselves by rapid turns and quick evolutions ; swifts 

 dash round in circles ; and the bank-martin moves with 

 frequent vacillations like a butterfly. Most of the small 

 birds fly by jerks, rising and falling as they advance. 

 Most small birds hop ; but wagtails and larks walk, 

 moving their legs alternately. Skylarks rise and fall 

 perpendicularly as they sing : woodlarks hang poised in 

 the air ; and titlarks rise and fall in large curves, singing 

 in their descent. The white-throat uses odd jerks and 



