Hovering of Birds

Abstract

WITH regard to Mr. W. Clement Ley's remarks, I have already been permitted to explain in NATURE (vol. xxvii. p. 366) how I had accidentally misunderstood Mr. Airy's meaning. I do not believe that any bird having a greater specific gravity than the air can retain a perfectly fixed position in a calm without some wing-motion. Mr. Ley “believes that there is nothing in the etymology of the word ‘hover’ that implies movement.” This has induced me to look up a somewhat voluminous and recent dictionary, in which I find “Hover, v.i. (W. hoviaw, to hang over, to fluctuate, to hover). To flap the wings, fluttering or flapping the wings with short irregular flights”; and more to the same effect, all indicating movement.