PACE AND LAST 107 
figures may possibly be correct. It must be remem- 
bered that the Swallow is better built for rapid flight 
than the Pigeon. Of the velocity attained by the 
Swift, that in his flight is very like the Swallow, but 
certainly more than his match, many people have 
arrived at an even higher estimate. 
Wind. 
But how are we to account for the Pigeon’s com- 
paratively very poor pace when tested in the shooting- 
gallery ? I have shown that in most cases, when 
they make records, Homing Pigeons are aided by a 
tail-wind. Besides this it must be remembered that 
at a considerable altitude the air is more rarefied, 
and consequently offers less resistance. It is true 
that it gives less support. But a bird of strong 
flight, travelling fast, will get the support that he 
requires, so that he will gain and not be hindered 
by the rarefaction of the air. It hardly seems, 
however, that this can be the sole explanation, since 
Commander Lynes found that Quails maintained a 
velocity of 57 miles per hour when they had left the 
higher air and, on nearing a resting-place on their 
voyage, were flying low. Commander Lynes’s 
observations were made, I believe, on a number of 
Quails under varying conditions, so that it seems 
probable that we have here the bird’s own pace, not 
its pace plus that of the wind. 
The difficult complication introduced by the wind 
has been ably dealt with by Dr. Thienemann at his 
post of observation not far from Rossitten, the well- 
known ornithological observatory on the Baltic. 
He has set up two lines of stakes half a kilometre 
