50 LOVES MEINIE. 



of mouth, but more for the advantage in flight, 

 the head of the swallow is rounded into a 

 bullet shape, and sunk down on the shoulders, 

 with no neck whatever between, so as to give 

 nearly the aspect of a conical rifle bullet to the 

 entire front of the body ; and, indeed, the bird 

 moves more like a bullet than an arrow — 

 dependent on a certain impetus of weight 

 rather than on sharp penetration of the air. 

 I say dependent on, but I have not yet been 

 able to trace distinct relation between the 

 shapes of birds and their powers of flight. I 

 suppose the form of the body is first determined 

 by the general habits and food, and that nature 

 can make any form she chooses volatile ; only 

 one point I think is always notable, that a 

 complete master of the art of flight must be 

 short-necked, so that he turns altogether, if he 

 turns at all. You don't expect a swallow to 

 look round a corner before he goes round it ; 

 he must take his chance. The main point is 

 that he may be able to stop himself, and turn, 

 in a moment. 



47. The stopping, on any terms, is difficult 

 enough to understand ; nor less so, the original 

 gaining of the pace. We always think of flight 



