242 [ASSEMBL-JP 



times perfectly settled ; the road walled on both sides, during the 

 transit of trains having the gates of the walls all closed. Then 

 instead of 07ie hundred miles an hour, we shall more safely travel 

 three hundred miles an hour! 1 will not pretend to say more. One 

 hundred miles seems fast enough, so did twenty, a few years ago, 

 and now, on very unsafe rails or some straight runs, we do travel 

 safely sixty miles an hour in this State, and in England one hun- 

 dred miles have been accomplished. 



Mathematical precision and time will solve this wonderful 

 problem— a passage from New- York to San Francisco in ten 

 hours. 



Solon Robinson — I have no doubt upon a perfect level straight 

 line, made sufficiently strong and smooth, this lightning speed 

 may be attained, but what I am thinking of is this, how will you 

 stop'? 



Judge Meigs — We must begin a hundred miles this side of the 

 station to shut off steam. There would be no need of the proposed 

 exhausted air tubes to send expresses through, if we had perfect 

 rails. It does not seem any more Quixotic to talk of those hun- 

 dred miles an hour than it did forty years ago to talk of fifteen 

 miles. 



DO KING BIRDS EAT BEES? 



Judge Meigs read the following communication from Mr. Johrt 

 Hooper, of Brooklyn Institute, the gentleman who first introduced 

 this subject to the notice of the club, and through our reports to 

 a world of disputants upon this question, " do king birds eat bees ?"' 

 Mr, Hooper says : 



It may be remembered that about two months ago I made a 

 report upon various common errors and prejudices prevalent 

 among farmers generally, respecting many of the most familiar 

 things which every day surround them. In doing this I suggest- 

 ed the necessity of looking into these simple matters, instead of 

 being content with the ipsi dixit of our grandfathers in the 

 matter. 



