LEARNING TO FLY 211 



photograph his attempts. But don't tie him to a motor- 

 boat. It might be bad for his health. You might push 

 him off the roof, and if he flies it will show that his instinct 

 suffices. If he does not fly, it will be plain that he needs a 

 rational course of instruction." 



' Captain Detroyat did as recommended, and the result of 

 his observations was as follows: "On the 15th of Sep- 

 tember the vulture, who answers to the high-sounding name 

 of Coco, weighed 9 kilogrammes, and measured 2*2 metres 

 from tip to tip of his wings, with a maximum width of *5 

 metre. This is approximately a square metre of surface. 

 According to the shepherds who brought him in, and by 

 plotting out a curve of the rate at which his weight 

 increased, it was probable that the date of his birth fell in 

 the previous April. He is unable to fly, and can hardly 

 toddle. 



'"'Coco' is not altogether wild. Indeed, he is so little 

 wild that it is impossible to frighten him enough to make him 

 run. At the end of September he tried his wings several 

 times, very much like a recruit going through his ' extension 

 motions,' on the top of a pot full of flowers to the very 

 great damage of the latter, but without daring to fly to the 

 ground. One day he was sufficiently venturesome to 

 attempt gliding from the top of a table or seat with his 

 wings spread out like a parachute. After that his progress 

 was made by practising flying jumps. This period was very 

 long. In spite of the efforts of his adopted father, he could 

 not be induced to start and practise gliding from the top of 

 a 2-metre wall which surrounded a field. He was so unen- 

 terprising that he was finally pushed off a roof, but to 

 every one's great surprise it was then found that ' Coco ' 

 really could not fly. He fell like a lump after having spread 

 his wings in a vague and undetermined sort of way. I was 



