84 



THE HAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. 



uals in their manner of moving the lower 

 extremeties, we doubt not conclusions may 

 often be drawn; and that the dispositions 

 and general make-up may be understood, we 

 will not attempt to deny. We are all more 

 or less apt. to form an opinion of a person 

 from watching his style of locomotion ; and 

 it is a common occurrence to remark on the 

 good business ability of a passing pedestrian 

 if we observe a quick, prompt step, or to 

 censure as a sluggard the man who drags 

 his feet, and dallies on his way to work. To 

 a limited extent we are charitable to the 

 man who hobbles by on crutches, for we 

 know oidy too well that an imposition is 

 often pressed upon our sight by one too la- 

 zy to work and yet smart enough to attempt 

 to enlist our sympathies. We fully sympa- 

 thize, however, if the man is really maimed 

 by paralysis or loss of limb, and our remark 

 generally is, "How hard to go through life 

 in such a plight." 



In the lower animals we will find that 

 greater variation exists in the styles of 

 moving about than even between the six day 

 pedestrian, who draws a house to see his 

 wonderful feat of endurance and speed in 

 walking, and the slow-poke who wearily 

 drags his cumbersome feet after him, and 

 who is known as ttie lazy man of the neigh- 

 borhood. That the lazy man is equally en 

 titled to a living with the rapid walker is 

 evident from the fact that he still lives; and 

 the principle of the "survival of the fittest" 

 evidently favors the sluggard, for does he 

 not often, aye usually, outlive the active man? 

 In the economy of nature we will also see 

 that, among the lower animals, those of 

 slow movements evidently have a place to 

 fill in Nature's great thoroughfare; and 

 that the active and strong have no better 

 chance of life than the slow and weak. The 

 remarkable activity of the lizard known as 

 the swift, in no way better provides for his 

 wants than do the clumsy movements of the 



toad. And further, if we carefully observe 

 the dull creature which we frequently spurn 

 from our path, impatient from its slow lo- 

 comotion, we will find that the celerity with 

 which the toad picks up a fly or ant with its 

 agile, well trained tongue, is fully equal to 

 the quicker, general movement of its lizard 

 relative. Now may we not say, with rea- 

 son, that not infrequently the lazy man who 

 lives in a higher scale of existence, although 

 many would not like to acknowledge it, and 

 who is usually a diplomat to the extent of 

 his wants, really often surpasses his more 

 active neighbor ill the fulfillment of his de- 

 sires. 



Amo: g the birds a great variation of 

 movement exists, and perhaps in no depart- 

 ment, unless we except the insects, shall we 

 find so many interesting features and op- 

 portunities for study of locomotion. It may 

 be said that the locomotion of birds is main- 

 ly by flight, and it is natural that the sug- 

 gestion should arise; but, from the fact that 

 as a class we consider birds as fliers, it does 

 not follow that we are to classify them from 

 their aerial movements, or look on them as 

 entirely confined to their wings either in 

 traveling or seeking their food. On the 

 contrary, many species never leave the 

 ground, many others are but indifferent fli- 

 ers, while others even use their wings as 

 propellers or fins in swimming. We will 

 study a few forms of bird movement on the 

 ground, comparing various orders and spe- 

 cies. If we attempt classification of birds 

 on a whole, from their manner of walking 

 the entire system in vogue would he sadly 

 entangled, and therefore a scientific basis 

 will not be drawn. 



Beginning with the Fasseres, and speak- 

 ing only of those species which we have ob- 

 served, we start in with the Robin. Here 

 we have a veritable, undignified hopper, or 

 more properly jumper, for lie invariably 

 ri ses from the ground and strikes on both 



