Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-02-15
FLIGHT OF BIRDS.
Rapid Wing Movement Does Not Al.
ways Imply Speed.

ways 'HP'y SPSoOs
Birds have different modes of flight,
/ Just as mcn have different gaits in
! walking or running. Rapid wing
movement does not always imply
speed in fight amy more than rapid
les movement implies speed in walk
ing or running. With us it is the
lenyth Of the stride that tells ultimate
~. What, apart from wing movement,
tells in the bird s flight is not known.
Speaking broadly. long winged birds
are strong and swift tliers; short
winged birds arc feeble in flight.
When we consider that Il cumbrous,
| slew moving bird like the heron moves
it,, wings twice per second when i'll
flight it is evident that many birds
have very rapid wing movement.
Mast small hi-.!s have this rapid
Wi;:;r movement with feeble powers
Of night The common wren and the
dipper for instance, have a flight like
that Of q young bird.
Many of our smaller migrants seem
but to fit from bush to bush or from
tree to tree. Members Of the thrush
family are low fiers, the blackbird in
particular with it's hasty, hurried
flight, often just avoiding fences and
no more Wagtails have beautiful
undulating fight with little apparent
use Of their wings. They look like
grcyhounds bounding through the air.
Nearly all birds sail OF float occa-
sion:lliy without the slightest move
meut Of their wings. Even a large
bird like Il pheasant will glide in THIS
way for more than two hundred yards.
Grouse have rapid wing motion
without any great speed. but when
they sail, coming down with the wind.
as they prefer to do, they go very fast.
Before alighting they flap their wings
several times very rapidly, like the
clapping OF hands. Most birds after
gliding do this. Does it correspond to
putting on the brakes or reversing the
engine in the case Of mechanical loco
motion? With little apparent use Of
its wings the wood pigeon flies very
strongly and rapidly. 1t never seems
to bring up much before alighting.
but crashes into Il tree ut full speed.
When it rises it's wings crack like
pistol shots.
Ducks are strong on the wing and
often fly in single file. Geese will fly
wedge or arrowhead shape, generally
at considerable height. So do many
gulls and other sea birds. in stately.
measured fashion. their calls Occa-
x&o,, TT ofk SDl,
left, right.
Kestrels have beautiful. clean cut.
clipping motion Of their wings and
look like yachts sailing through the
air. Willie their lowering in the air is
one of the mysteries Of bird life.
Peeswceps. which are 50 graceful in
their motions on the ground. look like
enormous bars when in flight. SWal-
lows and in Il very marked degree
swifts have rapid wing movement
with great speed and extraordinary
power Of fight. -Scotsman.
One Cold Saved.
Logic is logic. whether it touches the
affairs Of nations or cold in the
Tit-Bits, was forced upon a Liverpool
woman whose coachman, although he
had been i'll for several days, appeared
one morning with bis hair closely crop
ped.
"Why, Dennis" said the mistress.
whatever possessed you to have your
hair cut while you had such bad
cold?''
"Well, num-" replied the unabashed
Dennis, Il do be takin' notice this long
while that whiniver l have me hair
cut take bad cowld, SO l thought
to meself that now. while l had the
cowld on to me. it would be the time
Of all others to go and get me hair cut
tin done. for by that course would
save meself just one cowld. Do you
see the power Of me reasonin', mum?"