. Bird-life; a guide to the study of our common birds . E GREEN HERON(Length, ij-oo inches.) PageBLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON.(Young and Adult.)(Length, 24-00 inches.)GREAT BLUE HERON.{Length, 4j-oo inches.) FORM AND HABIT: THE WING. 19 birds, important relation between form and terrestrial species rely on their dull, protectivecovering to escape observation, taking wing only whendanger is so near that it is necessary for them to getunder way at once. Consequently, Quail, Partridges,and Grouse, much to the amateur sportsmans discom-fiture, spring from the ground as though thrown froma
. Bird-life; a guide to the study of our common birds . E GREEN HERON(Length, ij-oo inches.) PageBLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON.(Young and Adult.)(Length, 24-00 inches.)GREAT BLUE HERON.{Length, 4j-oo inches.) FORM AND HABIT: THE WING. 19 birds, important relation between form and terrestrial species rely on their dull, protectivecovering to escape observation, taking wing only whendanger is so near that it is necessary for them to getunder way at once. Consequently, Quail, Partridges,and Grouse, much to the amateur sportsmans discom-fiture, spring from the ground as though thrown froma catapult, and reach their highest speed within a fewyards of the starting point, while the Albatross is obligedto face the wind and run some distance over the groundor water before slowly lifting itself into the air. There,however, it can remain for hours or even days withoutonce alighting. The Frigate Bird, or Man-o-War Bird, has a bodyscarcely larger than that of a chicken, but its tail is onefoot and a half in length, and its wings measure seven to. Fig. 7.—Frigate Bird. (Expanse of wings, 7 to 8 feet.) eight feet in extent. Having this enormous spread ofsail, its flight is more easy and graceful than that of anyliving bird. I have seen hundreds of these birds floatingin the air, facing the wind, without apparent change ofposition or the movement of a pinion, for long intervalsof time. From this extreme development of the wing as aflight-organ, let us turn to those birds who have notthe power of flight. The Ostrich, Khea, Emu, andCassowary are familar representatives of this group. Itis generally believed that these birds have lost the power 20 FORM AND HABIT: THE WING. of flight, and that as their wings, through disuse, becamefunctionless, their ninning powers correspondingly in-creased. This, however, is theory, hut there are birdswhich have become flightless through some apparentlyknown cause. They may be found among such widelyseparated families as Grebes, Auks, Ducks,
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectbirdsunitedstates
