No two sorts of bird practice quite the same sort of flight, the varieties is infinite, but two classes may be roughly seen. Any ship that crosses the Pacific is accompanied for many days by the smaller albatorss, which may keep company with the vessel for an hour without visible or more than occassional moveement of wing. The currents of air that the walls of the ship direct upwards, as well as in the line of its course are enough to give the great bird with its immense wings sufficient sustinence and process. The albatorss is the king of the gliders, the class of fliers which harness the air to their purpose but must yield to its opposition. In the contrary school, the duck is supreme. It comes nearer to the engine with which man has conqured the air, as it boasts. The duck, and like them pigeons are endowed with stell-like muscles, that are a good part of the weight of the bird, and these will ply the shorts wings with irrestable power that they can bore for long distances through an opposite gale before exaustion follows. Their humbler followers, such as partridges, have a like power of strong propulsion, but soon tire. You may pick them up in utter exaustion, if wind over the sea has driven them to a long journey. The swallow shares the virtues of both schools in highest measure. It tires not nor dies it boast of its power, but belongs to the air, traveling it may be 6 thousand miles to and from its northern nesting home, feeding its flown young as it flies and sliping through a medium that seems to help its passage even when the wind is adverse. Such birds do us good, though We no longer take the omens from their flight this side and that, even the most superstitious villager no longer take off their hats to the magpie and with it good-morning.
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