26 R. THRELFALL. 
this case arrangements have been made for the transmission of 
about five hundred horse power from the falls of the river Gara to _ 
the mining town of Hillgrove, distant some seven miles. The 
system adopted in this case is the three wire direct current system, 
but the voltage employed, 1600, is such as has never been used 
before with currents of the magnitude here involved. The mere 
fact that a contractor was found willing to guarantee the perform- 
ance of machines yielding, say 250 h.p. at over 1,600 volts, is the 
strongest evidence of the immense advance which has been quietly 
going on in the design of direct current dynamos. One of these 
developments of great interest is. what is known as the “ Sayer’s 
winding,” by which means practically no field winding is required 
_ —a most original idea. 
Late last year (too late for reading at our last meeting), @ 
paper on Cellular Kites was sent into us by Mr. Lawrence 
Hargrave, and I cannot let this opportunity pass without 
expressing my strong conviction of the importance of the work 
which Mr, Hargrave has done towards solving the problem of — 
artificial flight. Mr. Hargrave’s work is so well known here 
that I need do no more than allude to it with the remark that 
we may expect to see Mr. Maxim adopt the cellular principle, 
and thus reduce the space occupied by the aeroplanes of his — 
machine. The problem of flight is one which requires for its 
solution not only a great deal of inventive capacity, but a sound 
knowledge of the properties of materials, and the fact that both — 
these qualifications appear to be possessed in a high degree by 
those working at the subject, allows us to indulge in the most 
Sanguine anticipations. In connection with this matter the 
soaring of birds has for many years formed an interesting : 
subject of speculation. A solution of the problem has been — 
recently obtained by Mr. Langley working on a suggestion made 
by Lord Rayleigh. I can Say nothing about it here, except that 
the essence of the explanation lies in the fact that even in what 
one would call a steady wind there are much more important 
fluctuations than is generally supposed—zi.e., that all winds are 
