444 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



before, gives to the young bird also mediocre rank, i.e. 50 per cent, 

 of other young birds were faster. And to compare old birds with 

 young, we can readily see that the average old bird makes a 

 velocity of 120 yards more per minute than the average young 

 bird. 



" These curves of distribution, as they are called, vary little 

 from year to year. That is to say, curves made from the records 

 of the next racing season will practically be the same as those 

 here given. In process of years we shall undoubtedly see a 

 difference. The average old bird, say in ten years' time, will 

 make a higher mean velocity than 970 yards, presuming, of 

 course, that we breed only or in most part from the fastest birds 

 of the present time." 



One of the most interesting chapters in M. Kodenbach's work 

 above referred to — an English translation of which appeared in 

 parts in the 'Homing News' — relates to the speed of homing 

 Pigeons, and from this contribution to our knowledge on the 

 subject we make the following extract : — " As we all know, the 

 mean or average speed of the Pigeon is calculated at about 

 thirty-eight miles per hour. It happens constantly, however, 

 that the wind is blowing a tempest, or that the birds have to 

 struggle with thick fog or adverse wind. Under the first-named 

 of these sets of conditions, our birds may attain a giddy and 

 almost incredible speed ; under the other, their speed is lowered 

 to almost any degree, and they are seen to fly so low as well 

 nigh to graze the roofs over which they move along. In the first 

 case, all is surprise, and verifiers have scarcely time to settle at 

 their posts before the champions are tumbling in upon them pell- 

 mell. In the other case, the fancier quivers with impatience, and 

 yawns out his vexation to the passing rooks above him, sometimes 

 for the whole day together. According to the interesting notes 

 accumulated by M. Rodenbach, the highest speed attained under 

 favourable conditions was 2150 yards a minute. The birds had a 

 tail wind, and the distance flown was no more than sixty miles. 

 In 1868, a Pigeon belonging to M. Delmotte, of Brussels, 

 obtained the first prize from Orleans with a speed of 2175 yards 

 per minute, but in this instance the wind blew a perfect gale 

 from the south-west. If these races had not been organized by 

 responsible clubs, we should have reason for suspecting some 

 error to have been committed in the published statement of the 



