340 THE BORDERLAND OF SCIENCE. 



from making strong efforts because the wicker-work to 

 which the apparatus was attached, fitting tightly round 

 his body, caused pain, and obstructed his movements. 

 Yet he tells us that, running down a small incline in 

 the open air, and jumping from the ground, he has 

 been able, by the action of the wings, to sustain flight 

 for a distance of 120 feet ; and when the apparatus was 

 suspended in the transept of the Crystal Palace (in the 

 spring of 1868), he was able, as we have said, to raise 

 himself, though only to a slight extent, by the action 

 of the wings. It should be remarked, however, that 

 his apparatus seems very little adapted for its purpose, 

 since the wings are attached to the arms in such sort 

 that the weak breast-muscles are chiefly called into 

 play. Borelli's main objection applies in full to such a 

 contrivance ; and the wonder is that Mr. Spencer met 

 with even a partial success. One would have expected 

 rather that the prediction of a writer in the Times 

 (calling himself Apteryx, or the Wingless) would have 

 been fulfilled, and that the ' aeronaut, if he flapped at 

 all, would come to grief, like the sage in " Kasselas," 

 and all others who have tried flying with artificial 

 wings.' 



The objection founded on the relative weakness of 

 the muscles of man as compared with those of birds 

 (without reference to the question of adaptation), 

 seems at first sight more serious. Although there can 

 be little question that the superior strength of the 

 muscles of birds has been in general enormously exag- 

 gerated, yet such a superiority undoubtedly exists to 



