. Birds in flight . the two wings, in some indescribable manner, areopened out so as to form a huge circular screen, concealingthe whole of the rest of the body. The effect produced from 66 the human standpoint is one of great beauty, after the firstburst of astonishment has spent itself. His mate is lesseasily moved. Perchance familiarity breeds any rate it is only after persistent arid frequent attemptsto charm her to his wUl that success rewards him. Those who have the good fortune to be able to makefrequent visits to the Zoological Gardens in London may,with great g
. Birds in flight . the two wings, in some indescribable manner, areopened out so as to form a huge circular screen, concealingthe whole of the rest of the body. The effect produced from 66 the human standpoint is one of great beauty, after the firstburst of astonishment has spent itself. His mate is lesseasily moved. Perchance familiarity breeds any rate it is only after persistent arid frequent attemptsto charm her to his wUl that success rewards him. Those who have the good fortune to be able to makefrequent visits to the Zoological Gardens in London may,with great good fortune, and at rare intervals, have an oppor-tunity of witnessing such a display, and of studjdng in detailthese wonderful wings. They are wonderful, not merelybecause of the manner of their display, or of their colouring,but also because in them we see ornament pushed to itsfurthest limit since, as wings, they have become well-nighuseless, and therefore almost dangerous to the well-being oftheir possessors. 67. g CO M W ZiC/3 CHAPTER VI How to tell Birds on the Wing I can tell a hawk from a bemshaw. Shakespeare. The small perching-birds and the difficulty of distinguishing them—Thewagtails—The finches—^The buntings—^The redstart, wheatear, and stonechat—The thrushes—^The warblers—^The tit-mice—^The nuthatch and tree-creeper—^Thespotted flycatcher—The red-backed shrike — Swallows, martins, and swifts—The nightjar—Owls—Woodpeckers. THE experienced ornithologist apart, there are hosts ofpeople who are interested, at least, in our native birds:who woiild fain call them all by name ; yet who can distin-guish no more than a very few of our commonest are constantly hoping to find some book which wiUgive, in a wojrd, the Hall-mark of every bird they maymeet in a days march. But that book wiU never be some species present no outstanding features by whichthey may be certainly identified, when no more than amomentary examination i
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