PACE AND LAST 105 



Quail, when one sees it on migration, flying past a 

 steamer, does not seem to be one of the fastest flyers. 

 Unfortunately, Commander Lynes does not record 

 any observations made on the wind at the time the 

 Quails were flying the measured distance. 



Mr. H. H. Clayton, when engaged in measuring the 

 heights and velocities of clouds by means of special 

 theodolites, took the opportunity of finding the pace 

 and the height at which passing flocks of birds 

 were flying. In one case — the birds were Ducks — he 

 found the speed to be 47 '8 miles per hour and the 

 altitude 958 feet above the ground. Some Geese 

 flew at 44*3 miles per hour at a height of 905 feet.* 

 I believe Mr. Clayton gives no record of the wind. 



The records of the races of Homing Pigeons give 

 a very favourable verdict. But when the " times " 

 have been very good, there has been in almost every 

 case (perhaps in every case without exception) a tail- 

 wind to help them. I take some records from the 

 Homing Fancier's Annual for 1892. For 82 miles a 

 bird maintained a velocity of just over 71 miles per 

 hour. The weather was ' ' splendid, ' ' but the winner so 

 outstripped all the others that we cannot help being 

 slightly suspicious as to the correctness of the record. 

 In a longer race — 2 15 J miles, from the Scilly Isles 

 to its home in Wiltshire — a Pigeon kept up a speed 

 of 50 \ miles per hour. In a short race — only 80 

 miles ! — we have a velocity of 58| miles recorded. 

 In a race of moderate length — 170 miles — the winner 

 travelled at the rate of just over 54 miles. There 

 is another record of 57^ maintained for 104 miles. 

 In all these cases, with one exception, it is recorded 

 * Science, n.s., Vol. v, No. 105, p. 26. 



