vII FLIGHT 243 
The skilled performers are Pelicans, Vultures, Storks, 
and, perhaps the finest of all, the Adjutant Birds. 
Under different circumstances the last-named may be 
seen at the Zoological Gardens, looking lethargic and 
far from athletic, their length of leg more apparent than 
their mighty spread of wing. They rise the first 1ooO— 
200 feet by their wings, and then, apparently without 
the faintest suspicion of a wing-beat, sweep round in 
spirals, or what is more properly called a helix, gaining 
ten to twenty feet, it is estimated, with each gyration, 
the wing and tail being rigidly cxtended and the 
primary feathers separated. During the first part of 
each turn of the helix they are flying with the wind, 
their direction being slightly downward; at the 
end of the descent they sweep round and face the 
wind, which carries them upward. When the curve 
described is towards the left, the right wing points 
upward and the left downward, but the two wings 
always form one rigid rod, and only move with the 
body (see p. 250). 
In this way they attain an elevation of one or two 
miles, and so restful does this upward circling appear 
that Mr. Peal is of opinion that they go aloft to doze. 
There is always a wind at the time, generally from 
the N.E. or S.W., blowing steadily at a rate of five to 
ten miles an hour, and since the plain presents a dead 
level of 200 miles by 60, the direction of the current 
can hardly be upward. When there is no wind there 
is no soaring. It is remarkable that there is always 
a considerable loss of leeway. This description agrees 
in all essential points with that given by other 
observers. 
R 2 
