In turning, the body is tilted sideways, so that the tip of 
one wing points skywards, the other earthwards, as in the 
case of the goshawk illustrated in this book. The pigeon, 
and some other birds seem further to spread out the long 
stiff quills borne by the thumb, which form what is known as 
the “‘ bastard-wing.” This turning movement is well shown, 
again, in the very realistic coloured picture of the woodcock 
turning in mid-air, and bearing too the burden of one of its 
nestlings. 
If it is difficult to satisfy oneself as to the way in which a 
bird alights, it is no less so to detect its movements in taking 
wing. Most of us must have seen sparrows making this 
effort from the road, thousands of times. But ask of any 
one, How is it done? The act takes place so quickly that 
the eye cannot follow its execution. And what is true of 
the sparrow is true of most birds. But there are some where 
this is not the case. Many water-birds, the cormorant, for 
example, get under way but slowly, and with evident effort. 
They flap along the surface for some distance before they 
gain sufficient impetus to lift them into the air. And there 
are many long-winged, short-legged birds which can rise 
from a level surface only with great difficulty, or not at all. 
The swift is one of these, for its legs are excessively short. 
The albatross is another: and this is true, indeed, of many 
of the petrel-tribe. The puffin, again, seems unable to rise 
175 
