Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-11-27

Familiar as this migration of birds is to
MS, there is. perhaps, no question in zool-
ogy more obscure. The long flights they
take, and the unerring certainty with
which they wing their way between the
most distant places. arriving and depart
ing at the same period year after year, are
points in the hisory of birds of passage as
mysterious as they are interesting. We
know that most migrants fly after sun
down. though many of them select a
moonlight night to cross the Mediterrane-
an. But that their meteorological instinct
is not unerring is proved by the fact that
thousands are every year drowned in their
flight over the Atlantic and other oceans.
Northern Africa and Western Asia are Sc
lected rs winter quarters by most Of them,
and they may be often noticed OF their
way thither to hang over towns at night,
puzzled. in spite OF their experience, by
the shifting lights of the streets and hous-
es. The swallow and the nightingale
may sometimes be delayed by unexpected
circumstances. Yet it is rarely that they
arrive or depart many days sooner or lat
er. one year with another.
Prof. Newton considered that were sea
fowl satellites revolving round the earth,
iuNil toull Dt llIOTc -UTtIN
calculated by an astronomer Foul wealth
or or fair. heat or cold. the pu.lins repair
to some of their stations punctuallv on a
given day, as if their movements were
regulated by clock work The swittness
Of flight which charactcrizes most birds,
enables them to cover vast space in a
brief time. The common black swift can
fly 276 miles an hour. Il speed which if it
,,nt,1I I. ,,,..iny,,,.I g., Al. 1.
day. would carry the bird from its winter
to its summer quarters. The large pur-
pie swift of America is capable OF even
greater ieats on the wing. The chimney
swallow is slower-90 miles per hour be-
ing about the limit of its powers; but the
passenger pigeon Of the United States can
accomplish journey of 1000 miles be-
tween sunrise and sunset
Ii is also true. rs the ingenious Herr
Palmer has attempted to show, that mi
grants during their long flights may be di-
rected byan experience partly inherited
and partly acquired by the individual bird.
They often follow the coast lres of CONT
nents and invariably take. on their passage
over thu. Mediterranean, one OF three
routes. l'ut this theory will not explain
how the pilot themselves. across the
broad oceans. and is nvalidated bv the
TACT. familiar to every ornithologist. that
the old and young birds do not Journey in
company. Invariably, the young broods
travel together; then come. after an
interval, the parents. and. finally the
rear is broken up by the weakly. in
firm, melting and broken winged. This
is the rule in autumn. The return
journey is accomplished in the reverse
. order. The distance travelled seems. more
over to have no relation to the size of the
traveller. The Swedish blue throat per-
forms its maternal functions among the
Alps. and enjoys its winter holiday among
the negroes of the Soudan, while the tiny.
ruby throated humming- bird proceeds an
nually from Mexico to Newfoundland and
back again. though one would imagine
that So delicate n little fairy would be more
ut home among the cacti and agaves of
the TERRA Caliente than among the frs
and iogs of the north. Londoa Standard.