developed to such an extent that extraordinary rates o f velocity and distances traversed have been recorded.
Thus Mr. Charles Boner states, in his ‘ F orest Creatures,’ that the flight of the Eagle is sixty feet per
second, being a t the rate of somewhat more than forty miles per h o u r ; and my friend Mr. White Cooper
mentions, in his ‘ Zoological Notes and Anecdotes,’ that “ the flight of a Hawk is calculated a t one hundred
and fifty miles an h o u r; and the anecdote o f the Falcon belonging to Henry IV. o f France, which flew, in
one day, from Fontainebleau to Malta, a distance o f thirteen hundred and fifty miles, is well authenticated.”
Mr. Harting, in his interesting ‘ Ornithology of Shakespeare,’ mentions th at the flight o f the Common
Swallow ( Hirundo rustica) has been computed to be a t the rate o f ninety miles an hour. I f this be a just
computation, that o f the Alpine Swift must be twice as g r e a t; but these are as nothing when compared with
the velocity of the Frigate bird ( Tachypetes aqutlus) , which, says Audubon, “ is possessed o f a power o f
flight I conceive superior to that o f perhaps any other bird. However swiftly the Cayenne Tern, the smaller
Gulls, or the J a g er move on the wing, it seems a matter o f mere sport to it to overtake any of them.”
“ T here are two facts observable in all birds o f great and long-sustained powers o f flight,” remarks the
Duke o f Argyll, in his admirable * Reign o f Law.’ “ The first is th at they are always provided with wings
which are rather long than broad, and sometimes extremely narrow in proportion to their length ; the
second is that the wings are always sharply pointed at the ends. Let us look a t the mechanical laws which
absolutely require this structure for the purpose o f powerful flight, and to meet which it has accordingly been
devised and provided. One law appealed to in making wings rather long than broad is simply the law of
le v e r a g e ...............and a long wing is nothing but a long lever. The mechanical principle o r law, as is well
known, is this—that a very small amount o f motion (o r motion through a very small space) a t the short
end o f a lever, produces a great amount of motion (through a long space) a t the opposite o r longer end.
This action requires, indeed, a very intense force to be applied at the shorter end ; but it applies that force
with immense advantage for the purpose in view, because the motion which is transmitted to the end o f a
long wing is a motion acting a t that point through a long space, and is therefore equivalent to a very heavy
weight lifted through a short space a t the end which is attached to the body o f the bird. Now, this is
precisely what is required for the purpose o f flight.” The preceding extract is sufficient for my present
purpose ; but my readers will find many other interesting remarks on the laws affecting and governing the
flight o f birds, in the work above mentioned, to which I would earnestly direct their attention.
Birds, like other animals, are endowed with the usual sen ses; but these vary in degree o f perfection in
accordance with the variety in their habits. Tha t that o f sight is very highly developed is amply testified in
the Kestrel, whose eyes must be almost telescopic to enable it to see an insect or a mouse on the ground
from the great elevation at which it usually hovers ; the familiar Robin, who discovers the wriggling worm
a t a distance o f many yards, must also be endowed with acute powers o f vision; nor can it be less
perfect in the Shrike, who sallies forth from his chosen branch to secure with unerring aim the passing
fly or beetle. The Vulture, provided with organs of equal if not even greater power, descries from an
enormous distance a dying camel, a stranded sheep, or any other earthly creatnre which has met with
misfortune, and by his peculiar motions gives the cue to others of its kind from still greater distances
and various points of the compass; for “ wheresoever the carcase is, there will the Eagles be gathered
together.”
The sense o f smell is most acute in the Anatidee o r Duck tribe, but, according to my experience,
seems to be entirely wanting in the Raptores (Vultures, Eagles, &c.).
That of hearing would appear to be most perfect in the Owls, as testified by their highly developed
auditory conch; at the same time it is by no means wanting in many other families of birds.
Neither can the sense o f feeling be absent from the probing bill of the Woodcock and the members
o f the Scolopacidce generally.
Should any of my readers wish to enrich their knowledge in this direction, I must refer them to the
works o f the writers mentioned above. In ‘ T he Birds o f Great Britain ’ my chief aim has been to give
a faithful representation o f the various species, and to record, in addition to the notes of others, such
observations as my lengthened study in this branch of science has enabled me to make.
The following arrangement will give a general view o f ‘ The Birds of Great Britain.’ with some
additional information respecting them obtained during the progress o f the work, and notices o f those
species which have occurred in the British Islands, but which are not, in my opinion, entitled to a place
in our fauna and consequently have not been figured.
The Vultures, a family o f birds whose proper home is the warmer countries o f the world, are but feebly
represented in the British Islands, where, indeed, the appearance o f the two species which have occurred
therein must be regarded as purely accidental, our islands being fortunately exempt from those visitations
which render the presence of these useful scavengers a matter o f great importance. The family comprises
about twenty-four species, divided among ten o r twelve genera, the greater part o f which inhabit Eastern
Europe, Africa, and In d ia ; the remainder frequent America, and extend their range from the United
States to Chile.