aso The Mechanics of Soaring. [April, 
THE MECHANICS OF SOARING. 
BY I. LANCASTER. 
; k was foreseen that the paper on the soaring birds in the 
November and December numbers of the NATURALIST of last 
year would provoke adverse criticism where it dealt with expla- 
nations of the movements of those creatures. The recognized 
laws of the mechanical forces being formulated from data derived 
from systems of which the earth is a part, makes it extremely 
difficult to deal with phenomena which are independent of that 
body, while still existing in its atmosphere. 
3 here arises at every step taken to elucidate the matter, a 
a seeming conflict with accepted laws, and however faultless the 
ce reasoning, it is discredited because of that apparent antagonism. | 
The word “soaring” is also a bad one to name the mechanical 
actions involved, as it implies a bird. No better, however, is at 
hand, and it denotes the method employed. by the bird and not 
necessarily the creature itself, as it is here used. 
While prosecuting the subject experiments of various kinds 
were conducted to dispel the obscurity which enveloped it, as 
careful observations had shown that it was completely different 
from any other kind of bird flight. Of almost half a hundred 
_ theories framed on postulates of bird or air, which were not true, 
one at length was found to be consistent with the facts. I sud- 
denly found myself in the ludicrous predicament of industriously 
attempting to prove an axiom. My experiments became value- 
Jess. Time and means had been wasted. There already existed 
_ recognized data to make the whole case self-evident. ae 
It is now more than five years since the discovery of the — 
_ mechanical activities herewith detailed. During that time the 
-matter has been made a study in all its bearings, so that mistaken 
mechanical world as worthy of serious attention. : 
~ | Tethnically, the material system of soaring is a flat surface, atf, 
_ and a force. The gravitating force is not essential to it. Any 
_ force, a push with the hand, horse-power, steam-power of any 
other will fill the conditions. Neither is atmospheric ait essential. 
The air must have the quality of great elasticity and offer con- 
siderable resistance to a moving body which compresses or drives 
-it out of the way, and very little to the passage of a smooth, 
flat surface like a sheet of tin, edgeways in it. The force is then 
oo ee be avoided, and it is herewith presented to the o 
