. The bird, its form and function . Fig. 276.—Trumpeter Swan asleep. sight, the mice and birds have of its deadly birds have a flight as noiseless as that of owls, andin some species the motion of the wings makes, as wenoticed in the pheasant, a very audible sound. When awidgeon rises from the water, the whistling of its quills,so dear to the ears of the sportsman, is quite shrill. Adove claps its wings together above its back while gain-ing impetus for flight. The characteristic sound fromwhich a hummingbird takes its name is well known. 34-6 The Bird When wild geese and swans ne
. The bird, its form and function . Fig. 276.—Trumpeter Swan asleep. sight, the mice and birds have of its deadly birds have a flight as noiseless as that of owls, andin some species the motion of the wings makes, as wenoticed in the pheasant, a very audible sound. When awidgeon rises from the water, the whistling of its quills,so dear to the ears of the sportsman, is quite shrill. Adove claps its wings together above its back while gain-ing impetus for flight. The characteristic sound fromwhich a hummingbird takes its name is well known. 34-6 The Bird When wild geese and swans nest in captivity, theirwings are put to most excellent use as weapons of de-fence, and of course this use must come into play fre-quently when nesting in their native haunts. I haveseen a man knocked breathless by a Canada gander whothought his nest in danger. When preparing for attack,the bird approaches hissing, with head stretched low alongthe ground, and suddenly, without warning, launches. Fig 277.—Trumpeter Swan preparing to attack an intruder with its wings. itself straight at ones breast and, clinging with bill andclaws, beats a tattoo with the hard bend of its is not likely to forget such a drubbing for a longtime. The wings of certain birds are armed with weaponsof offence, such as the Spur-winged Goose, Jacana, Plover,and Screamer. The Spur-winged Goose is a really danger-ous antagonist and can strike incredibly strong blows,bringing the sharp spur to bear with telling effect. These Wings 347 spurs are not claws, but correspond in structure to theordinary spurs on the legs of a rooster. The great heavy-headed and heavy-bodied hornbillsfly with great effort, and it is said upon good authoritythat when passing low overhead they make a noise likea steam-engine. Although not strictly within the prov-
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1906
