April ^rd, /^ao.] Trockkdincs. xix 



General Meeting, April 3rd, 1900. 



lIoRACic L.ViMi!, M.A., LL.IX, F. R.S., President, in the Chair. 



Dr. John T. Nicolson, Manehester, was elected an ordinary 

 member of the Society. 



Ordinary Meeting, April 3rd, 1900. 

 HoRACK Lamp,, M.A., LL.D., F.R.S., President, in the Chair, 



The thanks of the members were voted to the donors of the 

 books upon the table. 



A paper on "Aerial Locomotion" was read by Hrnry 

 Wilde, F.R.S. 



This paper is printed in full in the Memoirs. It was 

 illustrated by a series of lantern slides showing the earlier 

 attempts at mechanical flight ; and was followed by a discussion. 



The problem of the rising of birds from the ground being 

 referred to, Mr. F. J. Faraday gave an account of an incident 

 noticed by him at Kenilworth Castle, on June 24th, 1899. 

 A number of dead and partially decayed rooks were observed 

 lying at the bottom of the Dungeon Turret, which, being open to 

 the sky, is fully illuminated throughout, though the level of 

 observation is a considerable height from the bottom. There is 

 no means of ascent or descent, ingress or egress, presented by 

 the enclosing walls. The area of the enclosed space is about 

 16 by 20 feet, and the position is at the north-east corner of 

 Caesar's Tower. Careful observation revealed the fact that two 

 living birds of the same species as the dead ones were standing 

 on the floor of the ])it, amidst the remains of their predecessors, 

 in what was evidently proving a death-trap to the birds which 

 descended. The two living birds seemed dazed, and pebbles 

 were thrown down with a view to disturbing them and inducing 

 them to escape by flying. One of the birds being hit on the 

 back started on an upward flight, ascending in a constantly 

 widening spiral. When nearly on a level with the observers the 



