The Cairo bulletin., 1912-12-08


sultant action maybe gained when
state that have exposed dozens OF
photographic plates with my focal
plane index showing that / was work
Ing at a speed Of the 200th part OF a
second before I secured q picture Of &
| crested tit on branch near its nest
Ing hole. Even In such q short space
Of time the bird was able to conceive
the sound and set its wings in motion
before the shutter Of the camera
| closed.
NO Flights in Rough Weather.
Now if such Observation-Disclosures
creature as a bird finds difficulty IN
| flying in strong currents and eddies,
! how much greater must these same
difficulties be for the airman. Every
body has seen large aocks Of starlings
| going through their astonishing aerial
| evolutlcns before retiring to rest for
| che night and marveled at the skill
with which they avoided collidine
| with each other whilst wheeling
| twieting and swooping. This illus
trates the extreme rapidly of their
| mental perception and its translation
into action, but in spite of these very
| useful qualifications the birds do not
| risk such exhibition displays of flight
| during very stormy weather Mem
bers Of a pack Of grouse flushed dur
| ing a gale Of wind have been Known
to collide and kill each other in mid
air.
| remember on one occasion putting
4 grouse up near to a stone wall dur.
ing very gustY weather. The bird
had not proceeded far before it was
caught by a terrific side blast and
hurled against the wall. Falling 70
/ the ground it rose again, but instead OF
| attempting 70 continue its flight PAR
! 9llel wita the fence, tcCi, a course at
right angles to 1t, and by a series OF
| vigorous wing beats forced its way
| straight up INTO the eye OF the wind
and then, turning right around, sailed
away over the wall On outsuetched
wings. Grouse, like seagullg, appear
to be able to read the signs q a com
ing STERN, and frequently seek shell
ter before the breaking of the blast
| have known them to leave the ex
posed hilltops and descend even tc
the meadows right at the bottom Of
a Yorkshire dale before the oncomine
OF an exceptionally heavy gale accom-
| paGled by hail and rain.
Island Birds in Hurricane.
! Some years ago whilst In the outel
HeLudes / noticed thousands Of sea
| gUlls Of different species sitting quite
| still in O pasture close to the Atlantic
Every head was turned toward the sea
from which a moderate breeze wa,
/ blowing. "Dy the middle OF the after
noon the wind had increased to sucl
! hurricane force that pieces of foam
as large as a mans head were beins
carried from the beach a quarter OF ;
mile inland, and not a bird of ans
Kind was to be seen on the wing. Anx
ioas to see how nay feathered friends
were faring during such exceptional
weather | struggled forth, sometimes
| progressing ON my feet, and at others
IN exposed places on my hands anC
knees, I found common terms shell
teling behind boulders at consider
able distance from the shore. Arriv
Ing at vertical hole some 70 feet il
diameter and 50 feet in depth in the
root Of a lcng sea cave, ! was astonish
cd to discover peregrine falcon sit
ting In the company Of about 40 roci
doves The storm had actually mad,
the lion lie down with the lambs
There was a great clatter of wings al
the terrified birds rose from thei
pace Of shelter The peregrine wa,
carried down wind like piece of pa
per and soon disappeared from sight
but the pigeons battled on their stron,
wings until | had retreated littlt
way and all diyed Into the hole ono,
more
How much birds dislike wind,
weather may DO gathered from thei
siiaHce and lack OF activity during
rough day in June, Whilst no biz
likes to ay In a strong following win,
on account of tho liability OF have il
feathers rudled, heavy-bodled short
winged species, such as ducks, appre
ciate strong breeze III which to ris
from the ground or water because o
the Increased resistance 1t affords.
~ rArI