leg simultaneously, and while these recovered their position
would strike with the right hand and left leg, and so on
alternately. With this crude method the enterprising inventor
succeeded in raising himself by short stages from one height to
another, reaching thus the top of a house, whence he could pass
over others, or cross a river or the like.

The perfecting of his system became then simply a question of
practice and experience, and had young athletes only been
trained from early years to the new art it seems reasonable to
suppose that some crude approach to human flight would have
been effected. Modifications and improvements in construction
would soon have suggested themselves, as was the case with the
bicycle, which in its latest developments can scarcely be
recognised as springing from the primitive "bone-shaker" of
thirty-three years ago. We would suggest the idea to the
modern inventor. He will in these days, of course, find
lighter materials to hand. Then he will adopt some link motion
for the legs in place of leather thongs, and will hinge the
paddle blades so that they open out with the forward stroke,
but collapse with the return. Then look on another
thirty-three years--a fresh generation--and our youth of both
sexes may find a popular recreation in graceful aerial
exercise. The pace is not likely to be excessive, and
molestations from disguised policemen--not physically adapted,
by the way, to rapid flight--need not be apprehended.

One of the best tests of Besnier's measure of success is
supplied by the fact that he had pupils as well as imitators.
First on this list must be mentioned a Mr. Baldwin, a name