66 



THE AMERICAN NATURALIST [Vol. XLl 



cannot see the bullets, therefore you, and all those who do see 

 them, do not see them," we should have a parallel to the current 

 odd mode of conducting the flying-fish problem. 



It is in consequence of this supremacy of the negative that the 

 flying-fish problem has earned for itself the name of "eternal," 

 for as soon as one new witness can see the flight, either another 

 new one fails to do so, or a reference is made to some ol)Scrver who 

 has formerly so failed; and this is equally satisfactory, for, in the 

 problem, even an old " I did not" is better than a new "I do." 



It might naturally be supposefl that there nnist be an ovci-wliclm- 

 ing backing of probability, both mechanical an<l natiual, lo tlio 

 negative evidence in order to justify such dogucd (Uiiial lo the 

 affirmative of its common value. So far, h()\ve\er, from this 

 being the case, it is a second odd fact that l)ut one seemingly practi' 

 cal effort at |)roof has been made, and with this one exception 

 aeroplane flight rests wholly upon the flat negative. 



system! in ' Annual Report of the Smithsonian ' I'ustitutiim,' 

 1904, p. ills, bv Dr. Tlu-o.lore (iill, an emphatic aeroplauist : — 

 "Mobiu. ,1S7,S. iss.H eontc-u.le.l that ' Mviuu-(i>h arr inrapahlr 

 of jl;rnnj hlu- italic, are hi.], f.>r the simple reason that the nu.seles 

 of \Uv pectoral fins are not lai-v en.-ti-h to b.'ar the weight of their 



imuic'liateb i^-.,f. Whii.nau, a lii^h authoritv, <lenii>s i,. ac<-tu-acv. 

 In the .a.ne ariich- ^^v fin.I that this Matetuent is \ i^.,rou.siv 

 objected to bv (\ (). Whitman >lss()., uh,, nruv.l, -AJmilting 

 that in form, si/e, l.-noth, and structure the pe. loral fiirs of K.ro- 

 avfu.s are Ics. well adaj.ted to (light than th<- uings of most birds, 

 there is siiH ample room to beliexe, on anat.unical and pliN si„|, .gical 



'I'hi. is a plain statemeiit moderately word.-d by a .list ingt^ishcd 



Lsuetvd, as tho,.::'h In <•,m^incin^• armitneiu. U the ol.l irritating 



to wliether flying-fish fly or d., not fly, and entirely ignoring the 

 new muscle as|)ect opened by Whitman. 



