70 



THE AMERICAN NATURALIST [Vol. XLI 



Could anyone contend that a swallow could sail even in its pres- 

 ent poor and much-assisted way (for it is far from being a first- 

 class sailer) if the unshaded parts of the wing-areas were removed ? 



Opinion is, however, undoubtedly changing. Many of the old 

 shibboleths are fast becoming discredited. The great distances 

 that the fish, under favoring conditions, fly clear of the water ^ — 

 the fact that they fly in calms as in winds — that they come on 

 board ships from lee and weather sides indifferently — that they 

 can and do turn in air ^ — that they often lose and often gain speed, 

 both from simple causes, on meeting a wave or on tail-dipi)ing — 

 that they can and do at times gain speed whilst still in air — that 

 they make for lights deliberately — that tliey rise and fall of set 

 pur[)Ose while in the air: all these and much more that has been 

 under the ban are being witnessed and certified to so incessantly 

 that soon only tlie high-|)riests of aero[)lane will be left contra- 

 dicting them. 



F. ( r. Ailalo (' Natural Hist, of Australia,' Macmillan & Co., 

 1S%) wiites- "I ha\e watched the^e beautiful creatines In tlic 



hour and in all weathers, but after having closely watched 



thousands of them through strong ghisses, I cannot give as ompliatic 



