LETTER XX 



Forked Tails Kingfishers : their Speed Mild Weather Anom- 

 alies amongst the Flowers owing to Mildness of Weather 

 Stampede of Sheep. 



7th December 1888. 



DEAR MARCO Extra length of the strong 

 outside feathers of the tail, which causes us 

 to call it forked, is mostly found in the case 

 of birds of very rapid flight, such as hawks, 

 terns, swallows, fern-owls, or humming-birds ; 

 and in some cases these outside feathers have 

 a slight curve outwards which still further 

 increases their brake or steering power. 

 Kingfishers would be generally considered as 

 very rapid fliers, and their tails are certainly 

 short and not forked ; but I am inclined to 

 think their straight arrow- like flight is not 

 so very rapid as we imagine. It has been 

 compared to a meteor, but plenty of time is 



