"And the bee, which gives one hundred and ninety-two per second --"

"One hundred and ninety-three!" said the facetious individual.

"And, the common house fly, which gives three hundred and thirty --"

"And a half!"

"And the mosquito, which gives millions --"

"No, milliards!"

But Robur, the interrupted, interrupted not his demonstration.
"Between these different rates --" he continued.

"There is a difference," said a voice.

"There is a possibility of finding a practical solution. When De Lucy
showed that the stag beetle, an insect weighing only two grammes,
could lift a weight of four hundred grammes, or two hundred times its
own weight, the problem of aviation was solved. Besides, it has been
shown that the wing surface decreases in proportion to the increase
of the size and weight of the animal. Hence we can look forward to
such contrivances --"

"Which would never fly!" said secretary Phil Evans.

"Which have flown, and which will fly," said Robur, without being in
the least disconcerted, "and which we can call streophores,
helicopters, orthopters--or, in imitation of the word 'nef,' which