The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-22
THE MIGRATION OF 1lpDa
The influences Of tAe Weather ups, tho nsvs.
Iucus, Of TIE Eeotherad Trlhca

Inc atriynis Nt f1iiGtadtE s&NS,
wrt.cy III the 1.,limbitrgh Revicp. or.
influenced by the strength aud direc
ton of tho wind. They seldom ~
dead 10 windwayd. but generally with
in three or four points Of the wind. A
strong wind checks their progress
They cross the sea at all hours Of thu
day and night. flying on tine starlight
nights at great height, 90 that mum.
bcrs must pass oyer unobsefvSd, o,
only dstectyd by those weird sounds;
the hvisS of Wings and cries described
by Tenhysoh III the Passing 81 Ar
thur:
Aud fainter onward. llte wild bird. tia,
CIR .s ,:. N ,'e p'st, .ndv.'l their Va,
The direction taken by tho flocks Of
passing birds IN spring is from east to
west along the entire cast coast Of
England aud Scotland, with notice
able inclination from the southeast
and south. In 1879 the main BODY Of
the migrants crossed over at the south
ernmost stations, where the North
Sea is narrowest; in 1880 they arrived
upon tho midland and southea stern
portions Of ito coast The direction
OF the migrants passing soutb&ard ia
autumn was along the coast Tins from
rorth to south, fYs period occupied
in migrating BY any given species
varies and often extends over several
weeks, or even months. Migrants. IN
fact, seem TO cross tho North Sea all
The year round. aud no sooner does
ting ebb of the autumn migration
cease, than the flood sets IN and the
birds begin TO- pass ndrthward again.
Preserving strict order during their
Journey, some Of the migrants main.
tain a wedge shaped disposition Of
their masses. with q leader In front, az
goose. ducks and francs, ROCKS ami
jackdaws have i ci.rious habit of vars.
ing the height 1t which they fly. They
generally press forward in their jour-
ncy at great elevation, till suddenly
some among their number drop down
several hundred feet with closed
wings, when others follow suit; till
presently tho *ESis company Has
chingsd its level and is passing on at
only a hundred feet from the ground.
The ilocks Of migrating birds are
usually irregular in shape, with open
spaces between several patches. .Swal-
lows catch insects as they 60, and q
pilot bird usually precedcs them.
Among all the migrants the fight of
storks,. if we may pass for moment
beyond our own boundaries, affords
the most beautiful spectacle, owing to
their extraordinary power of wing and
to the gambOls and aerial ballots
which they practice while still adyanc.
pgrapidly with each successive sweep
OF their strong wings. All birds Of
prey in large bands display the same
sportivc disposition on tho wing.
The anticipation Of bad weather
turns sky-larks and several otkef day
flyers int1 nocturnal migrants for the
nonce: Cranes ID q hurry travel by
mig INT, or when they have beeh dis
turbed in their roosting places. The
true nocturnal migrants which. "ay by
night" like the witches in ..Mac.
beth," include several bad flyers; and
some which arc not SO. Among them
are the owls. goat-suckers, kingiishers,
bunting (poor tlyers). quails, moor
hens (weak on the wing), bittcrns,
night herons, ducks. dippers or
water ousels, missed thrushes, black
birds, hightingales and robins feeble
in body, strong at hearty. An advant-
age of the night passage is that the
brds pass untroubled by tho enemies
that at other times modest them. All
migrants alike are hindered by adj
verse weather, but not by moderate
head wind, which is advantageous to
them. whereas stern wind disturbs
their steering process. Whatever
leaders they may follow, the majority
are invariably we'll led. Some birds
find it more convenient to take the
journey alone. They do not all travel
on the wlng-grebes, cormorants and
divers using rivers, lakes and even
seas in the course of their passage,
gathering their usual aquatic food on
the way. There are also land as we'll
rs water migrants. such as the
landrail, which may be met with DUR
ing migration both in Spain and Egypt,
and from the interior of Africa as far
as 12' north latitude. passing through
our corntields by obscure routes, crak-
ing in the next field to the village and
the county town, but always safe, for
few dogs can flush him and the near
est land grip hides him. As to the
height at which migrants make their
passage, they are probably guided by
the same considerations as balloonists,
and are anxious to catch q favorable
current of wind wherever they may
find it. The flock Of birds that arrive
with favorable wind, we are told,
often show no signs of fatigue, and
pass at once to the interior without
alighting on the coast for rest.
The gathering at their departure
commences in the neighborhood of
Brighton. Shoreham and Worthing
early in September, and the meadow
pipits are the birds that first put in
an appearance. Among all tho mi
grants the swallow has perhaps, at
tracted most attention in all ages and
countries. 1t arrives in Sussex vii
lagos with remarkable punctuality;
none of the migrants perform their
Journeys more rapidly than the swal-
lows and their congcners. A swift
with young ones. or during migration,
covers from 800 to 1000 mile; a day.
1t begins business feeding it's young
about 8 u. M, and continues it till
9p. m. At that season, therefore, the
swift spends nearly eighteen hours
upon the wing; and it has been COM
putcd that at the ordinary rate of
travelling of this very fast bird it would
circnmnavigatc tho globe in about
fourteen days. At a push if it were
making forced flights, the swift would
probably keep on the wing, with very
brief intervals of rest, during fourteen
days. The speed of the whole tribe is
marvellous and seems more so when
compared with that of the swiftest of
animals that depends for their pro.
gressive powers on legs, however many
legs they may be furnished with.
The hare is swift, yet in Turner's we'll
known picture Of rain, steam and
speed the hare's fate is sealed; she will
be run over and crushed by the engine
rushing in her wake. The swiftest
animl would soon break down at forty
miles an hour, which the swallow un-
consciously accomplishes. merrily
twittering all the while. All the swal-
low tribes are found in great Britain,
including Shetland. except the swift,
which is not found in those islands.
Some writer's hnvc rea chad tho oon-