78 RAPIDITY OF FLIGHT. 



often have witnessed a quickness of flight, probably not 

 much inferior to these Eagles: for they will, even at their 

 fullest speed on the fleetest horse, have seen Swallows 

 skimming in all directions, pursuing the small insects 

 which the horse puts up in its course over the grass, 

 sometimes leisurely keeping at an equal pace, then 

 shooting ahead, and not unfrequently actually flying 

 round the rider in wide circles, with an ease and facility, 

 betraying neither eifort nor labour in so doing. 



The flight of the common Swallow has been computed 

 at 90 miles, that of the Swift has been conjectured to 

 be nearly 180 miles per hour. We can scarcely, indeed, 

 calculate or limit the speed which can be produced by 

 the eifort of a wing's vibrations. That a small insect 

 can with ease accomplish forty or fifty miles an hour, 

 and probably much more, we know to be a fact, from 

 our own experience on the Liverpool and Manchester Rail- 

 road; for, when rolling along, at the rate of about thirty 

 miles an hour, we saw bees and flics, sometimes hovering 

 round the carriages, sometimes settling, then, when dis- 

 turbed, flying to the right or left, in an irregular course, 

 but still keeping up, without the slightest appearance of 

 extra exertion; and often, when tired of continuing with 

 the train, shooting forward, and in an instant leaving 

 us far behind, and this, too, in opposition to a fresh 

 breeze heading them. 



Another mode of ascertaining the flight of birds has 

 been by Carrier Pigeons. These are a particular breed, 

 which can be so trained, that when carried to great dis- 

 tances from the place of their usual abode, and turned 

 out, they will find their way back. A short time ago, 

 fifty-six of these birds were brought over from a part of 

 Holland, where they are much attended to, and turned 

 out from London, about half-past four in the morning: 

 they all reached their dove-cotes at home by noon; but 

 one favourite Pigeon, called Napoleon, arrived about a 

 quarter after ten o'clock, having performed the distance 

 of 300 miles at the rate of above fifty miles an hour, 



