Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1881-11-26
4. NaNrIIE~lE:R.
! smiled. | was very glad.
Who Guide, the Birds

Familiar as The migration of Eilds is to
US, there is perhaps no question IN zoology
more obscure. The long flights they tal.cs
and the unerring certainty with which they
wing their way between tie nlost distant
places, arriving and departing at the same
period year after year, are points IN the
history OF birds of passage as mysterious
as hey are in.erS sting. We kno. that
most migrants fly after sundown, though
many of them select asmoonlight night to
cross the Mediterranean. But that their me
teorolOgiCal instinct is not unerrlng is
proved by the fact that thousands are eve
ry year drowned in their flight over the At
lantic and other oceans. Northern Africa
and Western Asia are selected as winter
quarters by most OF them. and they may Of
ten be noticed on their way thi,her to hang
over towns at night, puzzled, in spite of
their experience by the shifting lights Of
the streets and houses. The swallow or
nightingale may sometimes be DELAYED by
/ unexpected circumstances; yet 1t is rarely
/ that they arrive Or depart many days soon
er or later, one year after another. Prof.
Newton considered that were seafowl sat.
elites revolving round the earth their ar
rival could hardly be more surely calcula-
/ ted bv an astronomer. Foul weather or
! far, heat or cold, the puthns repair -
some Of their stations punctually on gienv
davs, as if their movements We're regulated
by clock HorK, The swlftncss OF flight
which charac.eTlzes most birds enables
them to cover q vast space in bricf time
The common black swift can fly 2.6 miles
an hour-a speed which, if it could be
maintained for less than half day. would
carry the blrd from its winter to lis sum
mer quarters. The large purple swift o.
America is Capable Of even greater feats
on the wing. The chimney swallow is
siower-nincty mules per hour being about
the lini, of It's power; but the passenger
pigeon Of the tnted States can accomplish
a Journey Of 1, 900 miles between sunrise
and sunset |, j, aso true, as the lnycnI JUS
Herr Pa!ihen has ATTEMPTED 10 show, that.
migrants .sefsn4 their flights nay X dIrcc,ei
by al expAsierice partly inherited and part
ly acquired " The Individual bird. They
often iol os lie coast line of caEt.nen.s,
and lnvarlatly take, on ther passing over
the htdlt riancan, one 0. three routes
But this theory ~. not cAplaa ii9w ihct
pilot themselves owe! broad oc.a1s, and :
luval.dalet by 3tl4e sac<, familiar y ever
o-nltl0.o1lst, that the uI ami yoa =
birds 40 not ioN.ney N company. ln'4rt-
ably tue youag tTtods traye. together.
then come, af,tI an interval, tie parents.
and finally lha r,ar IS bro Isnt up - 'Le
weakly, the lniiru, tnc ,n1-tlns, anu i!le
broken winged. Ilis Is tho r4.. III autumn.
Tie return tturney S accomplished ID Lie
reverse crtieT 1 1T distance travelled sens
u.eIeovur, 10 have 10 Ee-at.on u I Lc : Z y
tue ,ravtle-, The Swedish b..e.ar ~. cr
+ forms lis I4aI.r.al functions among lit
Laps. and 81 iot : rs winter lo.-d.y elu5r :
ta.. negr1xs .: lie ><u4asl. while tie i44y,
ruby ihgoa:ed laala.u. :Y..a ?-oceo1s ar
uua!Iv from NgAlco - teH;oILd d.4nd atC
back acA4u, .-o1-a o-c *oall l4l4e i-t
-.n., so delicate lizzie .-lr, s4Q.a - l.o- 1
8; home aua01. lie csc. Al! aus Z IL.
I.erra C4l.eu.e than a-44lle t.-e Us AZ
IOSs Vi Tie AcEIu