BRITISH BIRDS OF FASTEST FLIGHT 49 
happening, it was difficult to realise that anything 
unusual had taken place. 
" I have seen the irresistible death-stoop of the 
peregrine, the lightning rush of the tiny merlin, 
I have watched the earthward plunge after prey of 
buzzard, eagle, kite, and harrier ; I have revelled 
in the agile snatch of the sparrow-hawk, in the 
silent hovering of the kestrel ; and all have I 
enjoyed. Here was something quite different 
and even far better. Never have I seen skill so 
superb as was displayed by that hobby." 
It would therefore seem that the hobby, 
which is a peregrine in miniature, flies faster 
than the common swift even on a horizontal 
flight, but it is worthy of note that in both stoops 
referred to in this delightful description, the 
hobby gained by reason of gravity. True, he 
also gained altitude, but this may have been better 
manoeuvring for position and not necessarily a 
greater speed. As the peregrine flies faster than 
the hobby, being a bird of the same structure but 
larger, the peregrine could no doubt overtake and 
kill the common swift if it would take the trouble 
to pursue so small a bird. 
Next, as to the Alpine swift. This bird is 
much larger than the common swift — in length 
