154 SUMMER 



unable to believe that this was really the case, so I tried 

 again. The second time he fell head down on the gravel 

 just about five metres from the spot vertically under the 

 point at which he started. Unfortunate bird ! I heartily 

 begged his pardon, for he was really very much afraid, and 

 in consequence he had a heart attack, and was very ill the 

 whole evening afterwards. 



' " By the 4th of October he was getting on nicely, and was 

 practising from the top of a hen-house, where he tried his 

 wings for a long time, and ultimately glided down from the 

 eminence to a distance of 15 metres, where he landed like a 

 big chicken. Next he was taken out into the middle of a 

 big field without trees and incited to run like Santos Dumont 

 at Bagatelle, during which time he got gradually more 

 courageous. 



1 " He commenced by jumping on his feet and beating his 

 wings at the same time. These jumps became more frequent, 

 and increased in length and speed without greatly increasing 

 his height according as the speed he got up permitted, till 

 finally he got up sufficient speed in his last jump to leave the 

 ground definitely, and to continue gliding along at i J metres 

 above the surface. In this way he covered 30 metres at the 

 run, and then 100 to 150 metres flying, exactly like Santos 

 Dumont. He had come to the point at which he was pro- 

 ceeding from flight to flight. 



' " Another series of experiments which he carried out con- 

 sisted of jumping into the air 3 or 4 metres. To induce him 

 to do this, we placed him in a small yard which was walled 

 in on three sides by buildings, the fourth being closed up by 

 a wall of 2 j- metres in height. He disliked remaining in this 

 little courtyard, and, after two or three jumps and beating 

 with his wings, he succeeded in rising high enough to get on 

 the top of the wall, from which he glided down into the field. 



