134 



ANIMAL LOCOMOTION. 



less than the pigeon, and has forty times more surface ; it 

 weighs 3,000,000 times less than the crane of Australia, 

 and possesses 149 times more of surface than this latter, the 

 weight of which is about 9 kilogrammes 500 grammes (25 

 lbs. 5 oz. 9 dwt. troy, 20 lbs. 15 oz. 2^ dr. avoirdupois). 



The Australian crane is the heaviest bird that I have 

 weighed. It is that which has the smallest amount of sur- 

 face, for, referred to the kilogramme, it does not give us a 

 surface of more than 899 square centimetres (139 square 

 inches), that is to say about an eleventh part of a square metre. 

 But every one knows that these grallatorial animals are excel- 

 lent birds of flight. Of all travelling birds they undertake the 

 longest and most remote journeys. They are, in addition, 

 the eagle excepted, the birds which elevate themselves the 

 highest, and the flight of which is the longest maintained. 



Strictly in accordance with the foregoing, are my own 

 measurements of the gannet and heron. The following de- 

 tails of weight, measurement, etc., of the gannet were supplied 

 by an adult specimen which I dissected during the winter of 

 1869. Entire weight, 7 lbs. (minus 3 ounces); length of 

 body from tip of bill to tip of tail, three feet four inches ; 

 head and neck, one foot three inches ; tail, twelve inches ; 

 trunk, thirteen inches ; girth of trunk, eighteen inches ; ex- 

 panse of wing from tip to tip across body, six feet ; widest 

 portion of wing across primary feathers, six inches; across 

 secondaries, seven inches ; across tertiaries, eight inches. Each 

 w^ing, when carefully measured and squared, gave an area of 

 19| square inches. The wings of the gannet, therefore, fur- 

 nish a supporting area of three feet three inches square. As 

 the bird weighs close upon 7 lbs., this gives something like 

 thirteen square inches of wing for every 36 J ounces of body, 

 ix. one foot one square inch of wing for every 2 lbs. 4J oz. 

 of body. 



The heron, a specimen of which I dissected at the same 

 time, gave a very difl'erent result, as the subjoined particulars 

 will show. Weight of body, 3 lbs. 3 ounces ; length of body 

 from tip of bill to tip of tail, three feet four inches ; head and 

 neck, two feet ; tail, seven inches ; trunk, nine inches ; girth 

 1 M. de Lucy, oj?. ciU 



