[Chap. IX, 34 



TAllA. lio.] 



CHAPTER IX 



Plight. 



Speod. 25. In tlic Keniaiks on Individual Species below will be 



(ki> 11.) found the observations of well-known ornithologists about 



the relative speed of the various kinds of Ducks. To the 

 man with the mathematical mind, these will appear more 

 or less all mere rule of thumb. It will convey little to 

 him that the experts mostly agree that the Pintail is the 

 fastest bird of all ; he will want to know exactly what that 

 means and he will fasten with avidity on Macgillivray's 

 dictum that the velocity of the Mallard is " probably quite 

 a hundred miles an hour." What is known, in actual 

 accurate figures, about the speed of the l)uck tribe, or of 

 birds generally ? Had Macgillivray anything to go upon 

 in making his estimate ? 



To the latter question the answer is doubtless in the 

 negative. The use of the word " probably " seems to give 

 the case way. To the discussion of the former question 

 let us bring a few modern instances. Homing-pigeons are 

 said to have reached an authenticated speed of GO miles 

 an hour and have maintained a speed of fifty-five miles an 

 hour for four hours in succession, but this is very excep- 

 tional even for these highly specialised our selected birds. 

 Dr. Hankin, in his book "Animal Flight,"" finds that 

 Vultures, whom no one would place among the swiftest 

 of the birds of prey, reach'a speed in gliding with flexed 

 wings of 2G metres per second, or, say, slightly below 60 

 miles an hour. On the other hand there seems to be a 

 tendency on the part of the layman to exaggerate bird 

 speeds. Elaborate tests made by the "Field'' in 1887 

 gave the following as the speeds, in the open, of the birds 

 named, vis. — 



Pigeon, 25-8 to 27-0 miles per hour, 



Pheasants, 270 ,,38-1 „ ,, 



Partridges, 27*6 ,, 32-1 ,, ,, 



and it was remarked that these velocities might fairly be 

 taken as the speed of birds rising to the gun and also of 

 driven game when not aided by any wind. 



Data published in the Ihid by Col. Meinlicrtzhagen, 

 who took observations of the flight of birds in connection 

 with his anti-aircraft duties during the War, show that the 

 steady flight of the smaller Passe.res varies from 20 to 40, 

 and that of the Waders from 40 to 50 miles an hour. 

 Tlie ammunition makers work to an average speed of about 

 40 miles an hour, though they no doubt expect the man 

 behind the gun to increase his forward allow^ance if he 

 sees that he is up against something that is largely exceed- 

 ing that pace. The rates stated by hini for steady flight 

 would. Col. Meinherlzhagen remarks, be accelerated greatly 



