Boys and birds; or, Miss Truat's mission (1874) (14746607011)

Identifier: boysbirdsormisst00dyer (find matches)
Title: Boys and birds; or, Miss Truat's mission
Year: 1874 (1870s)
Authors: Dyer, Sidney, 1814-1898. (from old catalog)
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: Philadelphia, The Bible and publication society
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress



Text Appearing Before Image:
ebird about three feet from the tip of the tail to thebill, which is long and extremely sharp. It is a strik-ing fact that the darter when plunging into or passingthrough the water makes scarcely more disturbancethan does an eel. The bird has a habit of conceal-ing itself in the thick foliage of the swamps, whereit will sit and thrust its long neck here and therethrough the leaves in such a manner as to leadthe observer to believe that a serpent is therein con-cealed. The darter is in general of a deep green color,with a white stripe down the sides of the neck.The wings and tail are black, bordered with silverywhite. The nest is of sticks, built in trees, and theeggs blue. Those who have been up and down our bays ormade a voyage at sea have noticed what large num-bers of birds would be attracted to the vessel, aboutwhich they will often continue to hover for hours,screaming and wheeling around in repeated circles.(Fig. 109.) Differing much in size and color, in33 Z 386 BOYS AND BLRDS.
Text Appearing After Image:
Fig. 109.— Sea-birds on the Wing. one thing they are remarkably alike—the long andslender form of their wings and the slow and grace-ful manner in which they use them. If we examinethe wings of these birds, they reveal a marvel of BOYS AXD BIRDS. 387 adaptation and power. You all know, children,that the longer the lever is, the less power it requiresto lift a given weight. Now, this is the general prin-ciple on which the wings of sea-birds are constructThe wing-arm is comparatively short and strong,while the primary feathers of the wing are immenselylong, and the secondaries, or those near the body,correspondingly short. By this nice adaptation itis seen that with the exertion of little muscular forcegreat wing-power is obtained, enabling the bird tomake lonsr-sustained flight with little weariness.This is sometimes really marvelous, as in the caseof the albatross, which seems to be always on thewing, often being met with thousands of miles outat sea, when it will follow vessels f