88 



ANIMAL LOCOMOTIOK 



towards the body, the concavity of the left hand is directed 

 backwards and made to describe the under half of the ellipse, 

 so as to scoop and seize the water, and thus contribute to the 

 propulsion of the body. The left or cutwater arm materially 

 assists in floating the anterior portions of the body. The 

 stroke made by the left arm is equal to a quarter of a circle, 

 that made by the right arm to half a circle. The right 

 arm, when the operator swims upon the left side, is con- 

 sequently the more powerful propeller. The right arm, 

 like the left, assists in supporting the anterior portion of 

 the body. In swimming on the left side the major pro- 

 pelling factors are the right arm and hand and the right 

 and left legs and feet. Swimming by the side stroke is, 

 on the whole, the most useful, graceful, and effective yet 

 devised. It enables the swimmer to make headway against 

 wind, wave, and tide in quite a remarkable manner. In- 

 deed, a dexterous side-stroke swimmer can progress when 

 a powerful breast-swimmer would be driven back. In 

 still water an expert non-professional swimmer ought to 

 make a mile in from thirty to thirty-five minutes. A pro- 

 fessional swimmer may greatly exceed this. Thus, Mr. J. B. 

 Johnson, when swimming against time, August 5th, 1872, in 

 the fresh-water lake at Hendon, near London, did the full 

 mile in twenty-six minutes. The first half-mile was done in 

 twelve minutes. Cceferis paribus, the shorter the distance, the 

 greater the speed. In August 1868, Mr. Harry Parker, a 

 well-known professional swimmer, swam 500 yards in the 

 Serpentine in seven minutes fifty seconds. Among non- 

 professional swimmers the performance of Mr. J. B. Booth 

 is very creditable. This gentleman, in June 1871, swam 

 440 yards in seven minutes fourteen seconds in the fresh- 

 water lake at Hendon, already referred to. I am indebted 

 for the details regarding time to Mr. J. A. Cowan of 

 Edinburgh, himself acknowledged to be one of the fastest 

 swimmers in Scotland. The speed attained by man in ther 

 water is * not great when his size and power are taken into 

 account. It certainly contrasts very unfavourably with that 

 of seals, and still more unfavourably with that of fishes. 

 This is due to his small hands and feet, the slow movements 



