The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-05-16
Our @lio.
MIGRATION OF BIRDS,

How do these robins, and the swallows,
and the other migrating birds, contrive to
make, unobserved, their long journey
north and south? Who sees them arrive?
Who has ever seen them depart2 They
have time to come and time to de-
part; and they move altogether We
find them with US, some bright and CHEEKY
morning in the latter half of March, or
early in April. We may feel sure they
were not here the preceding morning.
When did they come? Who saw them
arrive?
A friend, who has carefully studied this
problem, gives us his slow but very decid.
cd conclusion. Il is this Our migrating
birds chiefly go and come in Me night
His observation has led him also to the
belief that this annual migration, north
and south, is due less to ''instinct' than 20
instruction, and a sort Of tradition actually
impaired to the hosts Of young birds by
the older ones. He has reached the con-
clusion that the young ones, born and
brought up here in the north, would not
know by instinct, that long and dreadful
season Of deadly cold, with drifting SHOWS,
and fearful storms, was coming, from
which all sensible birds must fee, aud seek
in more genial attitudes tlieir winter home,
III proof of this he cites the case Of those
robins who remain with us over winter.
These, he says, are invariably young rob
ins, Matched the preceding June-never
old ones who had been here before the
previous winter. This can be ascertained
chiefly by their size, but partly by other
indications and appearances, such as every
vagrant country school-boy is familiar with.
To confirm his view our friend points to
the large gatherings Of young birds in lat
ter September, or early October, evidently
brought together by the old ones, who fy
along the whole line, eagerly chattering
something to which the youngsters owl
IDENTIFY listen, and which this observer be-
ieves to be warning not to widely part
company with the older ones, but to be on
hand and keep them company when at a
time near at hand they must all leave for
southern cline. Some young birds, our
philosopher says, either do not heed this
wise warning, or miss the great company
when they start--which is always, he says,
in the night. One finds these unlucky
stragglers, hiding as best they may, among
the sheltering thickets in January and
February-maintaining precarious and
doubtless suffering existence by eating
the cedar-berries These unhappy strag-
glers, left behind to endure the rigors Of q
northern winter, did not heed the tradi-
tionary warning which is preserved by the
older birds and handed down from gener-
alton to generation.
Such is our observers theory; and we
find something that does look like a sup
port Of il, in the conduct Of the swallows.
We have often watched, in the country,
these familiar aud most graceful birds,
when, about the first week in September,
they arc gathered in crowds Of hundreds
on hundreds, completely covering the
fence-tops for long distances. Huddled
closely together, they present curious
sight and the entire crowd Of sitting and
stationary birds are plainly enough the
young swallows, Along the entire line
the older birds are flying eagerly, closely
approaching the younger crowd aud twit-
tcring vociforously This spectacle is best
exhibited at the seashorc. Along the out
ermost fences of the farms bordering
Long Island Sound these closely packed
congregations of young swallows are often
astonishing in their numbers. The time
Is commonly abou. the first Of September.
The lesson---if 1t is lcsson--is repeated
day after day, the old birds seeming to be
very earnest and anxious about it.
Howoverthis part Of our friends theory
may be regarded, proofs Of the fact that
migration Of birds is chiefly performed in