in the air。 Hunters often saw his tracks； tracks that appeared suddenly and vanished suddenly； in such a。 way that they could only be possible if the 〃man〃 alighted on the ground； then took off again into the air。
In Mexico there are stories of the ikals； tiny black men endowed with the power of flight who live in caves and kidnap humans。 In India the giant bird known as the Garuda is an important part of the mythology。 The gods Vishnu and Krishna traveled around the heavens on the back of a great Garuda。 North American Indians have extensive legends about the Thunderbird； a huge bird said to carry off children and old people。 It was acpanied by loud noises； hums； buzzes and； apparently； rumbles from the infrasonic and ultrasonic levels。 Known as Piasa to the Indians of the Dakotas； it was supposed to have terrifying red eyes and a long tail。
We are dealing with three types of phenomena in these cases。 The first is the winged man； the second is a giant bird； so huge it is a biological impossibility； third； we have a monstrous demon with red eyes； bat's wings； and a body closely human in form。 All three are probably interrelated。
Research is still fragmentary but there is journalistic evidence that the winged man of 1880 was not confined to Coney Island。 His activities there were just a publicity gambit； attracting the notice of the staid New York Times and thus attaining a measure of respectability so that when anyone anywhere else saw him they had a frame of reference。
According to the Louisville； Kentucky； Courier…Journal； July 29； 1880； the winged man was busy in that area。 Two men； C。A。 Youngman and Bob Flexner； reported seeing 〃a man surrounded by machinery which he seemed to be working with his hands。〃 He had wings or fans on his back which he was flapping rather desperately to keep aloft。 The startled men wat6hed him flutter unsteadily out of view。
But he would be back。
II。
A year before the first flying saucer 〃scare〃 erupted in the state of Washington in 1947； a group of sixteen people in San Diego； California； witnessed a strange phenomenon。 They were gathered on a rooftop to watch a meteor shower on the night of October 9； 1946； when a bluish…white winged object appeared in the sky。 It looked like an extremely long airplane carrying two reddish lights and it left a luminous contrail。
〃The strange object was certainly no airplane；〃 one witness told Harold T。 Wilkins。 （1） 〃The wings； which moved； were too wide for any bird。 Indeed； they were rather like the wings of a butterfly。 The whole object emitted a red glow。〃
The object was especially conspicuous as it crossed the face of the moon。 Some of the witnesses thought it 。 resembled a gigantic bat。
Astronomers have also reported similar objects。 In Popular Astronomy； 1912； Dr。 F。B。 Harris stated： 〃lathe evening of January 27； 1912；1 saw an intensely black object； like a crow； poised upon the moon。 I estimated it at 250 miles long by 50 miles wide。 I cannot but think that a very interesting phenomenon happened。〃
In that crazy year 1880； an Italian astronomer named Ricco； on the observatory at Palermo； Sicily； was studying the sun at 8 A。M。； November 30； when he saw 〃winged bodies in two long parallel lines slowly traveling； apparently across the disk of the sun。 They looked like large birds tor cranes。〃
Cranes on the sun？ Crows 250 miles long on the moon？ Black…garbed men swimming through the skies over Coney Island？ Ornithopters over Kentucky and San Diego？
＇1＇ Harold T。 Wilkins； Flying Saucers on the Attack （New York： Citadel Press； 1954）； chapter III。
On December 30； 1946； Ella Young； an American writer； saw one of our bats at dusk near Morrow Bay； California。 〃On the golden sky it looked very black；〃 she reported。 〃It came forward head on； and had a batlike appearance； owing to the curvature of its wings。 I am not sure if there were motions at the extreme tip of the wings； but the strange machine seemed to stand still for several minutes； and its form was very distinct。 Suddenly； it either lowered itself toward the horizon； or the bank of cloud…mist made an upward movement…maybe； both movements occurred…for the machine passed behind the cloud and did not reappear。 Immediately afterward； a great flush of color spread over the sea。〃
May through August 1947 saw the first modern UFO wave in the United States。 Odd lights； glistening circular machines； and reddish flying cigars captured the American imagination。 Tiffany Thayer； the eccentric novelist and founder of the Fortean Society； named after Charles Fort； chortled over the air force explanations in the society's journal； Doubt。 Obviously the government was determined to cover up the true facts in this new situation。 Mystics and cranks quickly appeared； explaining the phenomenon as the work of people from outer space。 The press gave the sensation a two…week run； then went back to the intricacies of the cold war。 No one； not even the beady…eyed Forteans； paid much attention to the giant birds and machines with flapping wings that returned to our skies in 1948。
Early in January 1948； Mrs。 Bernard Zailowski reported seeing a 〃sizzing and whizzing〃 man with silver wings maneuvering about 200 feet above her barn in Chehalis； Washington。 The air force scoffed。 Four months later； two laundry workers in Longview； Washington； about forty miles south of Chehalis； claimed to see a trio of 〃birdmen〃 circling the city at an altitude of 250 feet。
〃When they first came into sight； I thought they looked like gulls； but as they got closer I could make out that they weren't gulls and I knew they were men；〃 Mrs。 Viola Johnson told reporters。 〃I could see plainly that they were men。 。。。 They wore dark； drab flying suits。 I couldn't make out their arms but I could see their legs dangling down and they kept moving their heads like they were looking around。 I couldn't tell if they had goggles on but their heads looked like they had helmets on。 I couldn't see their faces。〃
That happened on April 9； 1948。 That same day； a couple in Caledonia； Illinois； reported seeing 〃a monster bird 。。。 bigger than an airplane。〃 Researchers Jerome Clark and Loren Coleman dug into Illinois newspapers and discovered that state had an epidemic of funny birds in …1948。 （2）
That January James Trares； twelve； excitedly exclaimed to his mother； 〃There's a bird outside as big as a B…29！〃 They lived in Glendale； Illinois。 In April； a huge bird was reported in Alton； Caledonia； Overland； Richmond Heights； and Freeport； all in Illinois。 Walter Siegmund； a retired army colonel； saw it on April 4。
〃I thought there was something wrong with my eyesight；〃 he said； 〃but it was definitely a bird and not a glider or jet plane 。。。。 From the movements of the object and its size； I figured it could only be a bird of tremendous size。〃
Three people in Overland； Illinois； viewed the creature on April 10。 At first they thought it was an airplane； then it began to flap its wings。
By late April the Garuda was buzzing the city of St。 Lous。 Dr。 Kristine Dolezal saw it on the twenty…sixth。 A group of instructors at the Mississippi School of Aeronautics observed 〃an awfully big bird〃 at 1；200 feet the next day。 A salesman named Harry Bradford plained； 〃I've seen it three times in the last four days and that's too much tomfoolery for a man of fifty to take。〃
〃I thought people who reported seeing the thing were 'bugs' until I looked into the sky last night；〃 Charles Dunn； an inspector for U。S。 Steel； declared on April 30。 〃It was flapping its wings and moving quite fast at about 3；000 feet altitude and it appeared to be illuminated by a dull glow。 It looked about the size of a Piper Cub plane but there was no engine sound and it was not a plane。 I could hardly believe my eyes。〃
Although the plane…sized bird was seen sporadically during the next decade； the flying saucers stole the limelight。 The air force and the amateur investigators chose to pursue the more exciting Martians and Venusians。
But the fi