The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-01-20

Is there any good reason why mankind
might not ily: We have no natural nying
apparatus. of course, but there Is hardly a
limit TO mans ingenuity in these closing
wears of the nineteenth century. 1t isn't
necessary, in order to fly, that we should
have such wings as birds have. Quilts ana
feathers are not at all essential. for the besl
of all flyers, the bat. has neither quilts MOI
feathers: nor has it any semblance OF a
bird wing. Furthermore, the bat Is more
nearly related 10 mankind than it is to the
bird species. Az we told you "A few weeks
AGO. little bats are not hatched from eggs
as birds are. They are born as babies are
born. and they get their nOurishment just
as babies do until they are old enough "a
wean.
Well why might not man equip him.
self th artificial flying gear patterned
after that OF the pat and then sail about
| through the air. s we all do at times-in our
dreams? 1t would not require any great IN
yentiye genius 10 devise or mechanical sklll
to construct bat-llying apparatus. y re-
cOgnized authority in natural history says
that iii the fingers of man were to be
drawn out like wire 10 about four feet m
length. thin membrane to extend from
| finger to finger and another membrane to
fail from the little finger to the ankles, be
would make a very tOlerable bat"
In this description YOU see nothing III the
nature of bird-wins. A man arrayed
with such flying apparatus would there
fore look more like woman with an un-
huttOned waterproof Mapping in the wind
than like any of the angelic creations OF an
artists brain. But could the artificial bat
man fy even if hc should be able % exactly
duplicate the bats equipment, making II Ia
correspond with his size and weight
Oh t.. II ~ 4aN
selfpropeling living machines, and their
initial flights have always terminated in
violent couta Is with the ground. The
balman would fare 40 better. lie might
make his flying appliance SO exquisite in
every respect that sedaie old bat would
gaze at it in admiration, but II would serve
MIN no better for flying purposes than would
Sirappod-on Goldfish tail for swimming
purposes.
no. man will never ny without the aid OF
some power many times greater than his
own muscles afford. His structure is not
adapted TO flying purposes, as YOU will
readily perceive by examining the struct-
ure of the bat or any member OF the bird
family. The great condor OF the Andes IS
bird that weighs half as much as if
teon-year.old boy. II can pick up lamb
or p Kid and carry il away up through the
cir two or three miles above the level, TO
the nest where the Hedging condors await
it with expanded mouths.
Then, why might not boy. fitted with the
bat-hying appliance, also sail through the
airY IL is because the condor, In the muscu-
lar equipment that operates its wings, is at
least ten times stronger than the boy. An
example OF the wonderful construction OF
wing-mOving power is found in the bird
that Noah sent from the ark in search Of
hot - al ~ "a
same thing, our familiar pigeon, is the
fastest Of long distance flyers. The pigeon,
as we all know, has very prominent
breast. IL is light and delicately built
bird in its other parts, but the breast is re-
latvely heavy, having mass OF powerful
muscles connecting with the wings.
The consequence is that the pigeon can Il y
hundreds OF miles without stopping, at a
rate that no railway tram has ever equalod.
Pigeons have teen killed IN the state Of
New York with Carolina rice in their crops,
and the progress Of digestion showed that
the rics could not have been eaten more
than six hours before. This would indicate
"A speed Of more than fifty miles an hour.
Carrier pigeons have Travelled much faster
than that on still longer flights.
The little humming-bird, the smallest Of
all the ieathered tribe, is the best example
of muscular force adapted TO flying pur-
poses. This beautiful little creature has
larger and stronger wing. muscles, in pro-
portion to its size, than anything else Of
bird kind. No her brit could p0Ise itself
in the air, as the humming-Dird does, while
extracting the sweets from a flower. In
order TO work pair Of wings after the
manner Of humming-bird a boy would
need TO be al least fifty times stronger in
breast and arm muscles than is the aver
age boy.
1t is safe to say, therefore, that no boy
will ever poise in the air, Mapping pair Of
artificial wings, while calmly plucking the
farmers best apples in defiance Of the an
gry dog below.-Philadelph Times.