32 The Humming Bird. 



To Mr. Lilienthal, and to others who will follow him, I 

 will suggest this : — If you want to solve satisfactorily and 

 quickly, the problem of travelling into space with a flying 

 machine, follow the path so well laid out by Mr. Lilienthal. 

 Study first NATURE in its aerial inhabitants, viz. : — BIRDS, 

 either alive or dead. Nature contains everything as perfect 

 as it can be. The solution of this problem, as that of many 

 others, is there. Are not all successful inventors after all, only 

 imitators of the works of Nature. For example, begin by 

 studying the skins of a Condor or a Golden Eagle. See how 

 the feathers of wing and tail are disposed on their wings and 

 tail, measure their length, count their number, weigh the 

 bodies, then make your calculations, and construct an 

 apparatus resembling as much as possible in its formation to 

 the wings and tails of these birds. Then study their flight, 

 note the strength of their nerves and muscles, so as to 

 enable you to replace these with a machine of sufficient 

 power, according to the weight which must be lifted in the 

 air, and at the same time enabling you to move easily wings 

 and tail in all directions. Then you will have an apparel 

 with which the solution of the aerial navigation problem will 

 probably be solved. 



You may also study with advantage other species of 

 Birds, especially Hawks, Gulls, Crows, Swifts, Swallows, etc. 

 All of these have long wings, short tails, comparatively light 

 bodies for the length of their wings, and fly easily and swiftly. 



Since ICARE, captive of MlNOS, made some wings to fly 

 away from the place of his captivity without any other result 

 than his fall in the Algean Sea, many are the attempts which 

 have been made to construct a flying apparatus, but not one 

 was adequate. The most important one, was made by the French- 

 man, PlLATRE DE RoziER, but he was not more successful 

 than his predecessors. But now we can hope that before the 

 end of this century, such a machine will exist, and will produce 

 a revolution in the ways of travelling, at least for the 

 audacious ; because I do not see how it could ever be so 

 vulgarised as to make it handy for the public at large. 



