New-York tribune., 1899-06-04
Correspondence Of The Boston Transcript

FLIGHT OF INSECTS.
Correspondence OF The Boston Transcript
The Department of Agriculture has taken
steps toward acquiring the right to use very
novel invention newly patented by +. Francis
Jenkins Of Washington. 1t is kind OF muto-
scope camera. but is designed especially Tor
certain kind Of picture making that has never
been attempted hitherto
For example. the COntrivanCe is set up IN 'front.'
Of A stalk of corn just sprouting, and takes a
photograph Of il every hour for six months. the
exposures being made at such intervals Dy
peculiar automatic attachment subsequently
the m-ribbon on which these pictures are re-
corded is put into magiC-lantern machlne OF
the ordinary sort and run of at the rate Oh
thirty a second, thus giving to the spectators In
five minutes a view the screen of a corn
plant growing out OF the earth putting fOrtn
leaves developing tasse and silk exhibiting the
ripened ears. and finally decaying.
1t is believed by the Government experts that
this idea may be employed as to nave great
educational value, and hence the desire or the
Department of Agriculture to secure the priv
ilege of using it, There are almost Infinite pos
sbilities. obviously. for the utilization Of the
method and one may easily imagine it applied
to the study of the growth Of any KIND OF plant
as. for example. the watermelon. whlch may
be seen in a few minutes to pass through all
the stages Of its development. until at length
five minutes after the vine has sprouted, IL is
ripe and ready to be conveyed from the patch
by the nocturnal and predatory colOred person.
Anchor this new style of camera in an open
space attach to il wire. and II Will make an
exposure every two hours from the beginning
TO the end Of the year. The result VIII be
a ribbon of the seasons, and in five minutes the
spectators seated in Il theatre will have an
opportunity to behold all the succeeding phe-
nomena of the year. At first the ground Will be
seen covered with snow. which will vanish as
the first vegetation makes its appearance The
trees will put forth leaves with Visible rapldlty
in the sight of the audience, and when at last
they fall and the landscape has assumed its
former dreary aspect, the white mantle OF Jack
Frost will be spread again over the land.
one Of the most interesting Of the photographs
made up to date with this novel apparatus
represents an apple tree. which is seen in a Few
twinklings to display its new foliage. put forth
buds and blossoms and rpen its fruit. Equally
notable is a picture of a sunlOwer. snapshots
OF which taken every minute from sunrise
TO sunset Of a day When the ribbon is run of
at the rate Of thirty photos a second one sees
the flower turn on its stem steadily, always
keeping its face toward the solar orb. 1t should
be mentioned by the way. that the views 90
not Jump about in the way that is so annoy
ingly familiar, but are perfectly stationary
owing to the fact that each snap registers
perfectly with the ones preceding and following
Now in the view Of the Government experts,
this invention is applicable in a great variety
OF ways not hitherto tried For example, II is
earnestly desired to know something more than
is understood at present regarding the flight of
insects-nOt only because such Information
would have value from scientific viewpoint,
but for the reason that it might give help IN
solving the problem Of human volitation in the
atmosphere
At present comparatively little is known on
this subject. simply because insects in general
flap their wings so rapidly that no observer
gets any notion OF the mechanical details OF
the performance. For example, it is altogether
out Of the question To follow with the eye the
movements Of the wings Of a bee or "A dragon
fly, which very likely attain 1000 vibrations
or more A minute. However. this new machine
records the almost inconceivably rapid beats
OF these wings, and, reduced by the apparatus
TO one-twanteth of the normal rate Of flaps.
which the flying apparatus is utilized
In one Of these new-style photographs bum
blcbee is seen advancing toward a flower in
the foreground. Her fight. in reality. is enOr-
mOJsy rapid; but in the moving pcture't Is
reduced in speed that she seems to be ar
irving At a very leisurely gait. one has an
opportunity to observe the slow flaps Of her
wings she approaches the goal, luscious
blossom from which she intends to sip the
honey one may even take note Of the vary
ing shape Of her wings as she remains for an
instant still in the air advances. or goes up
or down.
Pcture-notes like these are of immense use
fulness to the student OF mechanical flight. 1t
seems so obvious that there must be some
means by which man can fly; and why should
not the volitative apparatus of an insect which
accomplishes this kind Of work so well. afford
valuable suggestions? Behind the blur of
Junebugs wings undoubtedly is concealed a
vast fund of information; but the main diff
Guilty in phOtographing insects in motion. OF
course. lies in getting the high speed required
for the shutters. This is something extraordi-
nary, but it is hardly greater than is required
for registering the movements of a horses
hoofs The hoof of horse running at a 40
gait moves at the rate OF 12O feet. !. 40
inches. Il seCOnd-more than twice fast
ordinary railway train.
As already suggested, the methods of flying
adopted by various species OF insects differ very
much and 50 il is reasonable to take for an ex-
ample the common houSefy. 1t moves its wings
at the rate of 100 flaps a second when going
fast-according to the famous Won Helmholz-
fef.