By Nathaniel Wales and Snow, Boston, MA, circa 1868. Nathaniel Wales applied for a patent on a mechanical flapping wing shorebird in Boston, MA in 1868. The wings have been fabricated out of cardboard, sandwiched between canvas, and attached to the body by a metal fastener. A string attached to the wings is weaved through the center of the body to "flap" the wings and mimic flight. Stamped on the side of the bird is: Wales and Snow Patent.
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