Evening star., 1901-02-25
THE SPEED OF BIRDS
As RULE THE FIGURES ARE EN-
AGGERATED.
A Flight of Pigeons That DisprOved
Several SuPPOsitiOns in Regard to
Swiftness the Wing.
From the Chicago Tribune.

fIonl tne 'nicaEo
In nature study one of the most interest
ing fields of experiment left the bird lover
is in determining the speed of birds in flight.
A good deal has been written on the sub
tect. but, according to some of the modern
ornithologists. a good deal that has been
written needs to be revised in the interest of
truth and fact. AS a general proposition it
is now held that most tables Of flights have
been grossly exaggerated. One Of these
tables showing an hours flight, Is given
below in miles.
Frigate bird, 200 miles; martin, 1870 miles
swallow. $50 miles; teal, 40 miles; carrier
pigeon, 10 miles; swift, 100 miles.
OF all these birds listed the frigate bird IS
least understood as to flight but II is not
believed in many quarters that single bird
in the list, in steady movement approaches
100 miles an hour.
Attention recently has been called TO these
speed tables by English authority who
especially challenges DIR. Gatkes Observa-
tion that migrating birds make $50 miles an
hour tie holds that they do not do II under
any circumstances of wind or weather, and,
as suggesting the truth of his remarks, he
cites a recent flight of pigeons between the
Shetland Islands and London.
The air line distance was 59lla miles, ani
the birds were liberated on June ~ only
one week after the longest day in the call
endar. All day long the wind blew from
lIle lOTlH, anu CpHllJlOnS Tor 1dDlu night
could not have been better But the win
ming bird was eight minutes under sixteen
hours in making the flight, an average Of
only thirty-seven miles an hour. The birds
had been released at 3:3O o'clock in the
morning in good light, and they had day
light for every mile of the way. Yet the
record of thirty-seven miles an hour was 50
far behind Van Roosebeck's estimate of 100
TO 10 miles as to set the ornithologists of
Great Britain to guessing. Frohawk, tho
animal painter. had credited the goodwill
with 100 miles an hour, and Sir Ralph Call
wey was of the opinion that the bluewng
teal could fly at the rate of 40 miles an
hour. Since the pigeon tests, however
doubt has been cast on all of these.
Frigate Bird Theory.
Ii is agreed that the frigate bird may
have been the foundation for some Of these
exaggerations. 1t has been generally ac-
cepted that this bird does not fly at night
and that ii is not fitted by nature for roost-
Ing on the water. In consequence, when 1t
has been found 900 miles or more from land
sailor comment has been that Ii has flown
that distance from shore and will be able
TO return to 1t by night. The trouble with
the proposition Is that II Is not proved tha:
the bird does not fly by night or that II
does not rest on the water in :he darkness
As TO Frohawk's estimate that the good
wit goes $50 miles an hour, IL is shown that
Tor II 10 go at that speed it would have to
overcome force greater than that Of 1Bi-
mile hurricane. This would represent an
atmospheric pressure of 112 pounds to the
square foot of flying surface--a pressure
that scientists will not willingly concede
Within year the English Field las made
some efforts to attract attention 10 The
speed OF birds. taking the position that
none of the existing tables is correct. or
even approxmatng correctness. TO begin
with. the speed of the frigate bird seems
first in the order of determination, and
correspondent suggests that In the Eilice
Islands this would be easy task There
the natives tame the great birds and make