'THE NiDIOLOGlSl'. 



i6i 



The Mechanics of Flight. 



AT the Aerial Navigation Congress, 

 held recently at Chicago, a paper was 

 read on " The Mechanics of Flight," 

 which sought to compare the movements of 

 birds on the wing with man's attempts to 

 soar. We might as well discuss the ana- 

 tomical construction of the angel's shoulder 

 joint or the mythological feats of Daedalus 

 in escaping from the labarynth. 



My object in this article is to offer obser- 

 vations on the flight of birds, and to at- 

 tempt to convince your readers that the 

 term "The Mechanics of Flight " is wholly 

 inappropriate in its entire significance as 

 applied to the movements of birds on the 

 wing, or at least to the movement known 

 as soaring. 



It appears to me that the term " mechan- 

 ics of flight " might consistently be applied 

 to the limited efforts of exoccetes, sciuropte- 

 rus and galeopitheciis , because these partial 

 successes are comparable with our handicap- 

 ped efforts in the air with the aid of mechani- 

 cal devices. But it savors of presumption to 

 offer the efforts of strictly terrestrial crea- 

 tures in comparison with the smooth soar- 

 ing of many species of birds. Because we 

 are able to demonstrate the principle of the 

 boy's kite; a current of air and a string, it 

 seems preposterous to me to attempt a 

 comparison of an Eagle's flight to this poor 

 contrivance and simple, yet mechanically 

 human illustration. 



I have seen a discussion in print, in 

 which learned men took part, relative to 

 the speed of a vessel in a wind; and pro- 

 found philosophers argued that it was im- 

 possible for a boat to sail at a greater speed 

 than the wind was blowing. Any ignorant 

 sailors, totally devoid of a knowledge of 

 mechanics, could give these capable profes- 

 sors points to the contrary, and though un- 

 able to use suitable words to express them- 

 selves, could show these philosophical 5^et 

 ignorant college-men of the interior, their 

 error, by a sail on the bay, or better still, 

 in an ice yacht. 



This well illustrates the liability to err, 

 even in that which refers strictly to physi- 

 cal forces. How much more liable then 

 are we to err in our judgment, if we falla- 

 ciously compare the life-force of the soar- 

 ing bird to the kite string which we hold 

 in our hand. Is there not an occult princi- 

 ple in the flight of birds, and especially ev- 

 ident in the act of soaring, and which we 

 are very simple in attempting to compare 

 with mechanical means known to us ? 



I am aware that the relations existing 

 between man to the inferior animals is a 

 topic of such general discussion that little 

 need be said upon the subject. But this 

 connection is nearly always based on the 

 practical value of the so-called inferior ani- 

 mals to man, and in the relations of these 

 creatures to us in the medium of our under- 

 standing. Now, has it not occurred to 

 many of us that a higher and distinct 

 sphere ma}' exist for all animals? Cer- 

 tainly we should be willing to admit of this 

 in the case of our dear birds, the spoilt 

 children of nature and favorites of crea- 

 tion as Figuier so pleasingly calls them. 

 In this age of liberal thought, when the 

 study of the soul is denominated a science, 

 and there are those who write on birds and 

 animals in their psychological relations, 

 will it be improper to admit that birds may 

 possess attributes, physiological processes 

 and chemical affinities, which are not un- 

 derstood by man and may never be? 



This seems most reasonably so to me, 

 and I accept as a truth as readily as the 

 acknowledgment is made that we fail to 

 comprehend the principle which enables 

 the dog to follow a track by what we term 

 " scent. " 



Those who claim that a soaring Buzzard 

 or Eagle cannot rise on motionless wings 

 without the aid of a current of air, are as 

 much at fault as those who attempt to ex- 

 plain the principle of soaring on the ignor- 

 ant human standard of ' ' the mechanics of 

 flight." 



I have watched the Red-tailed Hawk 



