4i2 BIRDS. 



live on vegetable food, phytiphagae ; the Anferine tribe, befides fifh, lives on various, 

 plants ; the Parrots feed on fruit, &c. 



The flight of birds is very various ; mofl of the Falcon genus glide gently through- 

 the air, hardly moving their wings ; molt of the Pies fly quick, frequently flapping, 

 or repeating the motion, of their wings ; the Paradife-bird floats on the air ; Wood- 

 peckers fly by jerks, alternately finking and rifmg in their progrefs ; the Gallinaceous 

 tribe fly ftrong and quickly, but foon come to the ground, owing to the fize and 

 weight of their bodies ; Pigeons fly with vaft fwiftnefs ; the Pafferine tribe moftly fly 

 by a quick repetition of ftrokes, and, except in migrating, feldom far at a time ; the 

 Swallow flies with vaft velocity, continues long on the wing, and makes numerous and 

 fudden evolutions, fkimming through the air in queft of flies ; many of the greater 

 Waders have a flow and flagging flight, but the lelTer fly fwiftly, with their legs extend- 

 ed, for the moll part, to make up for their want of tails ; Rails and Gallinules fly with 

 their legs hanging down ; Coots and Grebes are with difficulty forced from the waterj 

 but fly fwiftly when once rifen ;. Grebes and Divers fly with their hind parts hanging 

 much down, becaufe their wings are placed far forwards on the body : Many of the 

 web-footed birds, as Gulls, have a failing or flagging flight ; Wild-geefe, in their mi» 

 grations, fly in regular order, either in ftraight lines, or angular figures with the angle 

 foremoft, to affift in cutting the air, and the foremoft bird drops behind when tired. 

 Penguins, one fpecies of Auk, the Dodo, Oftrich, Touyou, and Caflbwary, are denied 

 the ufe of flight altogether, their wings only ferving in moft to affift in running, in 

 others to clamber up the fhore when they, land from the water, and to help them ia. 

 fwimming and diving. 



The ufes of birds in the economy of nature, and for the purpofes of. mankind, ars- 

 various. The Falcon tr-ibe deftroy carcaffes, which would otherwife become noifome ;• 

 the. order of Pies, picae, devour noxious fubftances and worms; the Anferine tribe, 

 anferes, leffen the too numerous inhabitants of the water ; the Waders, grallae, feek for 

 infecls and worms from bogs and marfhes ; the Gallinaceous tribe, gallinae, pick up 

 fcattered feeds on the ground ; the Pafferine tribe, papres, feed on the feeds of fhrubs 

 and plants, and frequently carry thefe feeds, and the ova, or fpawn, of fifties and in- 

 fects to places where they were not, originally found, and thus help to diffeminate ufeful 

 productions.. 



Birds are caught or killed, by means of bows and fire-arms ; by falcons, and other 



rapacious birds trained for the purpofej and by nets, gins, traps, pitfals, and various 



contrivances. 



Falcons 

 I 



