A GIFT OF GOD 31 



by a series of beautiful loops, thanks to the friendly 

 opposition of the air acting on a surface that is so 

 resilient. One has only to touch the whig of a dragon- 

 fly to recognise this quality so easy to bend, so 

 quick, when let go, to spring back to its rigid 

 position. 



So far the workings of the insect wing and the 

 bird wing are analogous, even identical. But the 

 insect needs to fly, if, as a rule, not so far, at least 

 as fast as the bird. I say, " as a rule not so far," for 

 we associate the great migrations chiefly with birds ; 

 though now and then the insects in then: millions 

 will start on these travels too, and move as quickly 

 and far as their feathered companions. However, for 

 their short everyday journeys they need swift motion ; 

 how can this be accomplished by such small wings as 

 most of them have ? 



True, the small wings have a weight correspondingly 

 small to carry through space. But this is deceptive, 

 and does not really explain how it is they can make 

 as rapid progress as a bird that carries a weight far 

 heavier ; for the weight is actually not more an im- 

 pediment to a bird driving through the air than to an 

 iron battleship driving through the water. Weight is 

 so finely poised, presented to the opposing and sus- 

 taining element the air is both with such adroit- 

 ness of shape, that it tells no more against the bird 

 than against the battleship. 



Thus the bee has not an advantage over the bird 



