I06 Wz/d Life around Edinburgh. [Sess. 



possible in observations of this kind. On the 12th of 

 November 1901 a very severe gale blew from the east. 

 As the woods of Dalmeny abound in sheltered nooks where 

 the rhododendron - bushes offered a secure retreat, it would 

 naturally be supposed that the starlings would not have 

 left the mainland to face the storm. Their homing instinct, 

 however, proved so strong that though they were forced to 

 rest for a time on a strip of bent-grass near Longgreen, 

 they crossed to the island as usual. On the morning of 

 the 13 th the gale had somewhat moderated, but it was still 

 blowing very strong. I was out along the sea- shore as 

 usual, for it is one of the delights of living at the seaside 

 to wander alone along the shore wondering what the waves 

 had cast up during the night. I kept a look-out for the 

 starlings, and was pleased to see them rise at 7.35. With 

 the wind behind them they came across in less than a 

 minute, or, to be exact, fifty-five seconds, which works out at 

 the rate of 98 '18 miles an hour. This was the record speed 

 which came under my notice. Shortly afterwards, on the 

 19th of November, I had an opportunity of ascertaining 

 their rate of flight under adverse conditions — that is, against 

 a head wind. The wind was blowing due west almost 

 with the strength of a gale, and the starlings took three 

 minutes ten seconds to cross, equal to the rate of 2 8 "4: 7 

 miles an hour. Flying low, almost touching the water, they 

 glided upward when they reached the shore, passing directly 

 over my head, and almost within reach of my hand. 



The actual rate of speed at which birds fly is a subject of 

 very great interest, and no opportunity of ascertaining it 

 should be neglected. In his wonderful book on Heligoland, 

 Herr Gatke made out that curlews, godwits, and plovers 

 travelled an ascertained distance of a little over four miles in 

 one minute, or at the rate of 240 miles an hour. In the 

 January number of the ' Ibis ' Mr Eagle Clarke gives the re- 

 sult of observations taken on board the steamer " Irene " on 

 October 18, 1903, when leaving the Kentish Knock light- 

 ship, where he had spent a month studying the migration of 

 birds. He says: "The boat was travelling at 11 knots, or 12*6 

 miles an hour, and at this speed the skylarks passed us with 



