Voyage from Liverpool to Boston - Off South coast of Ireland.
1911.
August 2
(No 6)
[August 2, 1911]

Remarkable flight of Herring Gulls.
Possible explanation of it.

with undiminished speed and ease. As I stood marveling at
this wonderful performance and noting carefully every detail respecting
the poise of head, body and wings of half a dozen or more Birds which
were gliding, ghost-like, within two or three yards of the rail
to which I clung as support against the furious gusts of
wind there suddenly occurred to me an explanation of the
mystery which I cannot help thinking may be a sound one
and which, I am comforted to find, also appeals somewhat
to Dr. Allen. It is simply this: - that whenever the Gull
obtains and maintains a forward movement during ordinary flight,
especially through calm air, by vigorous downward stroke of
the wings, it may accomplish the same result when progressing
against a heavy wind by holding the wings rigid and allowing
the blasts to strike against the tips or terminal portions of
the flight feathers thus forcing the latter upwards precisely as
they are bent, if by an inverse process, whenever there is a