The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1881-07-29
The spssd of thu Wing.

A writer In FfuzeT's Magazine saws:
The speed at which some wings are
driven is enormous. 1t is occasionally
80 great as to cause the pinions to emit
a drumming sound. To this source the
buzz OF the fly, the drone of the bee,
and b boom of the beetle are to be re-
ferred. When a grouse, partridge. or
pheasant suddenly springs into the air.
the sound produced by the whirring of
its wings greatly resembles that pro-
duced by the contact of steel with the
rapidly revolving stone of the knife
grinder. 1t has been estimated that the
common fly moves its wings $50 times
per second. 1. e., 10, 800 time per min
ute. and that the butterfly moves It's
wings nine times per second, or $40
times per minute. The movements rep
resent an incredibly high speed cyen at
the roots Of the wings; but the speed is
enormously increased at the tips of the
wings, from the fact that the tips rotate
upon the roots as centers. In reality,
and a. it has been already indicated.
the speed at the tips of the wings in
creases in proportion as the tips are re-
moved from the axis of rotation, and
in proportion as the wings are long.
This ID explained on the principle well
understood in mechanics. II . rod or
wing hinged ut mi point be made t.
vibrate. the free end Of the rod or wing
always passes through q very much
greater space in q given time than the
part nearer the root of the wing. The
progressive increase in the spread of
the wings, in proportion IS the wings
become larger, explains why the wings
nj bafu and hfrda ara not lws-on - AZ
speed Of insect wings, and
how the large and long wings Of large
bats and birds are driven more leisurely
than the small and short wings of small
bats and birds. That the wing is driy-
IN more slowly in proportion to its
'ength Is proved by experiment, and by
observing the flight Of large and small
birds OF b same genus. Thus, large
Eulls Zap their wings much more slow
y than small gulls; the configuration
and relative size Of the wings to the
body being the same in both. This is q
hopeful feature in the construction of
lying-machines, rs there can be no
loubt that comparatively very slow
movements will suffice for driving the
bng. powerful wings required to elevate
md propol fiying-machines. The speed
II tho wing is, in part regulated by the
amplitude of the wing. Thus, II the
wing be broad as well as long, the beats
lro necessarily reduced in frequency.
This is especially true of the heron,
which is one of the most picturesque.
ind. at the same time, one of the slow
.st flying birds we have. I have timed
he heron on several occasions, and find
hat in ordinary flight its wings make
xactly sixty up and sixty down strokes
i. e., 120 beats per minute. In the
,terodactyl. the great extinct Saurian.
he. wing was enormously elongated,
Ind in this particular instance probably
rom fifty to sixty boats of the wing
Ter minute suficed for flight. Fifty or
ixty pulsations Of the wing per minute
10 not involve much wear and tear Of
he working parts. and ! am strongly
u opinion that artificial flight, il once
chieved, will become q comparatively
Rfe means Of locomotion. - far ~ the
nachiaery required is concerned.