Abstract
LET me entreat the Duke of Argyll not to confuse the issue between us. I made bold to ask his Grace to draw a diagram showing by what balance of forces be thought a bird could be sustained in mid-air, motionless on motionless wings, in a perfectly horizontal wind; and he refers me to a beautiful drawing of a kestrel hovering, with fluttering wings, in still air. (See note at foot of page 161 of the “Reign of Law,” 5th edition, 1868: “Mr. Wolf's illustration of a kestrel hovering shows accurately the position of the bird when the action is performed in still air.”)
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
AIRY, H. Hovering (? Poising) of Birds. Nature 27, 412 (1883). https://doi.org/10.1038/027412b0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/027412b0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.