134 CARRIER PIGEONS 



thers of the wings of the swallow tribe qualify them 

 in a peculiar manner for their mode of life^, which is 

 being almost always on the wing. Their food is in- 

 sects, and their forked tail serves as a rudder, to en- 

 able them to dart either way in pursuit of their nim- 

 ble prey, which would otherwise escape them." 



At this moment, my cousin Henry, who is a stu- 

 dent at Cambridge, but much fonder of the diversions 

 of the turf than the stores of ancient learning, entered 

 the parlour, and confirmed the assertions of Mr. Cra- 

 ven with respect to the progressive swiftness of differ- 

 ent kinds of birds, and their capacity for maintaining 

 their speed for a great length of way. He said, that 

 a favourite carrier pigeon won him a considerable sum, 

 by flying from Newmarket to London, a distance of 

 sixty miles within the hour. Since this conversation, 

 I have gone every evening about sun-set to the hill 

 behind the plantations, to watch the rooks returning 

 home from feeding ; and I observe that, in the space 

 of a few minutes, I often see them pass a considerable 

 extent ; for I can perceive them four or five miles be- 

 fore they reach me, and as far after they have passed 

 me ; and the whole, comparatively speaking, the action 

 of a moment , The surprising power of wing bestowed 

 on birds of passage makes me long to know some par- 

 ticulars of their excursions : perhaps your friend Mr. 

 Palmer will satisfy my curiosity. If you can obtain 



