The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-28 00:00:00

Aeronautical Society of Great Britain.

A meeting of members of the above society was
held yesterday evening, under the presidency of his
Grace the Duke of Argyll, in the lecture room of the
Society of Arts.

Mr. BREARY, the secretary, read an introductory
address sketching out the objects of the society,
which were, without pledging itself to any particular
theory of aerial navigation, to encourage aeronautic
experiments, and, if possible, to obtain the great
desiderata of flotation and propulsion for aerial
machines.

An interesting paper descriptive of the mode of
flying adopted by different birds, an attentive study
of which the speaker contended must be the basis of
sound aeronautic science, was then read by Mr.
WEIsTIfAM j after which -

The CHAIRMAN expressed his opinion that, if ever
they obtained the power of travelling through the
air, it would not be by the flight of individual men,,
but by the production of machines capable of con-
taining a number of men, moved and sustained as
the birds moved and sustained themselves. It was
very strange that the principles which regulated the
flight and floating of birds had never been carefully
investigated by scientific men. Anatomists described
birds as obtaining the means of flight by inflating
their bodies with hot air, whereas the fact was that
if birds were so inflated they could not fly at all. As
a matter of fact, it was necessary the bird should be
heavier than the air, and this became apparent the
moment the bird of strongest flight received a shot,
when it fell to the ground. He believed that Mr.
Wenham's investigations and experiments would
lead to important results, provided his calculations
should turn out to be correct.

After a short conversation,

Mr. GLAISIIER said that an investigation of the
laws of flight was a most important subject, and well
worthy the attention of the society. lie, as was woll
known, had frequently ascended in a balloonfor the
purpose of making certain experiments, and had
re-
ceived many valuable suggestions which had im-
pressed him with the utility of a society like the pre-
sent to collect such suggestions, and to submitthem
to the test of experiment. When at an altitude of
four miles, he had little inclination to attendto any-
thing but his balloon ; and Mr. Green, who had been
500 times in the air, and who sat near him,
would
confirm him in this observation. He had been very
much struck by Mr. Wenham's interesting paper,ii.s
and exhorted that gentleman to inpersevere
valuable investigations.
The CHAIRMAN suggested
the water should
fishes and marine animals through that the swimming of
also be made the subject of
othercxri experiments
marine
mem-
bers of the society. Seals and animals
ere s o
or two after they
s slightly less an
which swain with perfect
wbut hftacislhitoywsiasugkuth ilnusaththat of
momenttheir
specific gravity wa
the displaced water. Capt. WESTCAR suggested that one of the first
steps taken by the so
society should be the construc-
tion of a balloon. A Mr. Macdonald, in Birming-
ham, had written to him, stating that he-had dis-
covered a means by which a gas inflated balloon
might be driven to the north pole and back. (A
laugh.)
The CHAIRMAN said that since his connection
with the Aeronautic Society had become generally
known, he had received numerous letters of a simi-
lar description. All the writers, however, required
a few hundred pounds to enable them to make ex-
periments. (Laughter.)
The SECRETARY announced that the Duke of
Sutherland had offered a prize of £lOO to whoever
should scale Sutherland-house in an aerial machine
not inflated with gas. (A laugh.)
This terminated the proceedings.