160 ANIMAL SKETCHES. CHAP. 



There has been much scientific discussion of the me- 

 chanical principles involved in the soaring or sailing flight 

 of the highest graduates among birds in the art of aero- 

 nautics. Doctors argue about it and differ ; meanwhile the 

 bird sails on. And people are apt to say or to think that 

 the albatross with its instinct solves the problem which 

 baffles the reason of the physicist. But the albatross 

 rather sets the problem than solves it. Many of us can 

 set problems which we cannot solve. Still the instinctive 

 adjustment of the sea-bird's pinions to the variable air- 

 current in which he floats so masterly, is worthy of 

 admiration however we regard it. And instinct is akin to 

 genius. Both are innate, and in some degree incompre- 

 hensible even to their exponent. The bird sails, he knows 

 not why or how ; it is the outcome of his nature. And 

 Raphael paints and Shelley sings; each must indeed 

 attain mastery of his materials ; but the inner spirit and 

 fire is inborn ; it is the outcome of their nature. Standing 

 below we watch their soaring flight, call it " an infinite 

 capacity for taking pains," or what not. Meanwhile genius 

 sails on. 



The whole question of the mechanics of flight is a 

 difficult one. No doubt instantaneous photography will 

 aid us in reaching a satisfactory solution. For one of the 

 difficulties of the problem is that the rapidity of motion 

 is such that the eye cannot follow the wings in all the 

 stages of their stroke. The European artist reprsents 

 the flying bird with wings elevated, the Japanese with 

 wings either raised or lowered. But instantaneous pho- 

 tography catches them in these and all intermediate 

 positions. In this way animal locomotion has been 

 studied with great ingenuity and skill by M. Marey in 

 France, and Mr. Muybridge in America. The pace of 

 the horse has been photographed in all its phases when 



