2/6 
THE SWALLOW. 
“ But how now stands the wind ? 
Into what corner peers my halcyons bill ? ” 
For brightness and beauty of plumage, the kingfisher 
has no equal amongst our British birds, and so straight 
and rapid withal is its line of flight, that when the sun¬ 
light falls upon its bright blue back, it seems as if an 
azure bolt from a crossbow had been suddenly shot across 
our path. 
It is difficult to calculate or limit the speed which can 
be produced by the effort of a wing’s ,vibration. We may, 
nevertheless, ascertain with tolerable accuracy the rate of 
a bird’s flight, as follows:—If we note the number of 
seconds which are occupied by a bird in passing between 
two fixed points in its line of flight, and measure the 
distance between these points, we resolve the question to 
a simple “ rule-of-three ” sum ; inasmuch as, knowing the 
number of yards flown in a certain number of seconds, we 
can ascertain the distance traversed in 3,600 seconds, or an 
hour, and thus obtain the rate of speed per hour; sup¬ 
posing, of course, the speed to be uniform. In this way 
the flight of the common Swallow (Hirundo rustica ) has 
been computed at ninety miles,— 
“ As swift as swallow flies.” 
Titus And 7 'onicus, Act iv. Sc. 2 ; 
while that of the swift has been conjectured to be nearly 
one hundred and eighty miles per hour. 
