. L'émeu . ancehead on peut presque imaginer voir le vent se précipitant pastits forme. Ils n'ont jamais été observés pour approcher l'eau plus près de 300 pieds, alors que d'autre part, ils sont souvent soarvers le haut à une hauteur considérable. La méthode évidente que les oiseaux adoptent à l'ascension est particulière, et très intéressante à observer les quartiers de fermeture. Car, bien que l'oiseau lui-même soit pratiquement rigide, à l'exception de légers mouvements, dont certaines parties ont été décrites, ces actions simples expliquent vraiment comment l'oiseau s'élève. Ainsi, en plus de ce qui a déjà été dit, ils se composent de vers le haut et FO
1341 x 1863 px | 22,7 x 31,5 cm | 8,9 x 12,4 inches | 150dpi
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. The Emu . anceoverhead one can almost imagine seeing the wind rushing pastits form. They have never been observed to approach the watercloser than 300 feet, while on the other hand they often soarupwards to a considerable height. The evident method thesebirds adopt to ascend is peculiar, and very interesting to watchat close quarters. For, though the bird itself is practically rigid, except for slight movements—particular parts of which havebeen alluded to—yet those simple actions really explain how thebird rises. Thus, in addition to what has already been stated, they consist of upward and forward motions, as if, while pressingagainst the wind, advantage is taken when a lull occurs (seefig. i) ; and, secondly, with head still to windward, allowingitself to fall back a few yards as though for a breather, but 56 Vivian, Some Bird-Life in British Papua. r E m IIList Oct. still maintaining a slight upivard tendency during the progress(see fig. 2). Then repetitions ad lib. (see diagram). ^ Fi^.i.. Wind <- ■«i^ Their rate of speed when with tl^e wind would be quite 60to 70 miles an hour, if not more. Mr. Louis Becke, writing in The Pall Mall Gazette, mentionsthe Frigate-Bird as the swiftest of all sea-birds, and in some ofthe equatorial isles of the Pacific it is used as a letter-carrier. Takenfrom the nest before it can fly, it is hand-fed on a fish diet by thenatives ; and in the course of a few months becomes so tamethat it can be liberated during the day, and will return to itsperch at sunset. In the records of the London Missionary Societymention is made of the letter-carrying Frigate-Birds of the ElliceGroup (north-west of Samoa), and that writer, who resided inthose islands for three years, had frequent opportunities ofwitnessing their performances. In the Northern Division the following birds have been re-corded as existing there, and it would be interesting at a futuredate to learn of their respective peculiarities. They are theDollar-Bird {Eurystomus)
