Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-03-29
MIGRATION OF ANIMALS.
Wonderful Instinct They Display
In Their Journeyin9s.

MiErations As Are Fishes. Birds and
Insects-Curious Habits Of Birds
In Flight.
The migration of certain animals, at
particular seasons, from one country to
another, in search of a climate or dis
trict congenial to their habits, forms one
CT the most remarkable phenomena In
natural history.
Migration takes place with quadru.
peds, fishes, birds and insects, writes
Prof. 8. M. Wayland, in the New York
Ledger. AS to the first, it does not ap-
pear that any of them migrate period
1cally and regularly, like many species
OF fish and birds, for which q sufficient
reason may be found in the almost un-
interrupted passage which air and water
permit, whilst the land offers many i'm
pediments to change Of place. Yet some
quadrupeds are suddenly seized by the
desire OF migration. The lemming rat,
which is found in the northern part Of
Europe, migrates at irregular periods
when a severe winter is approaching in
incredible numbers, and always in a
straight line. stopping not for rivers or
lakes. Some other quadrupeds, also,
occasionally move in large numbers, and
for considerable distances; but these ex-
petitions do net tako place at regular
periods, and seem to be owing to aoci-
dental causes.
Some fishes move into warmer situa-
tions during winter; thus the salmon
leaves the rivers and shores, on the ap-
proach OF winter, to seek the warmer
waters OF the deep sea. Other fish do
the same. The Goldfish move in great
numbers about the month Of May from
the northern seas towards Newfound-
land. The shoals Of behring's which
periodically traverse the ocean are in
Vulnerable. The same is the case With
the mackerel, pilchard, anchovy, etc.
That insects migrate is we'll known-for
instance, locusts, ants, etc.-and move
with surprising obstinacy in given di-
rection.
The animals, however, with whose
migrations man is most familiar and
which appear to migrate most regularly,
are some species of birds. The facts
which are known relative to this point
are very curious and afford vast field
for interesting observation. Some birds
regularly return after certain absence,
not only to the same country, but to the
same spot where they built their nests
before, or where they were bred. Many
storks, which become half tame in Ger
many, have been marked and found to
return regularly to their old nests, built
on wheel which the peasants of that
country, particularly in the north, place
for that purpose on the corner of the
roofs of their houses The same is re.
lated OF swallows and other birds of pas
sage. Other birds do not return to a
particular country, but travel according
to circumstances from one to another.
Hunters, and other people living
much in the open air, know that certain
birds do not migrate except on the ap-
proach of severe witer. How are
these birds led to migrate at such sea-
sons? The general and easy answer is,
by instinct But what is instinct? Ger
tainly we can not mean, by this term, a
constant direct interposition of Provi-
dence, which drives the birds away be-
cause severe winter is coming on. In
stinct, whatever it may be, must be
guided by general laws. IN what way,
however, the birds arc led to guard
against the severity of the approaching
season, whether by peculiar sensibility
to the causes from which its severity
will proceed, or in other ways, we know
not. 1t has been maintained that much
OF the conduct of animals necessarily
implies reflection. The vicissitudes of
the atmosphere, on the arrival of the
migrating time, have also a great in
huence upon them.
I'D
during the night; some species, how
ever, by day. Others stop not, either
by day or night. To the class which fly
by day belong the birds of prey which
obtain their food by day-the crow, pie,
titmouse, wren, woodpecker, chaff1nch,
goldf1nch, lark, swallow and some others.
Those which travel by night are the owl,
blackbird, etc.. and great number
of aquatic birds. Those which stop
not. day or night, are the heron, wag-
tail, yellow-hammer, plover, stork,
crane, wild goose, swan. It is very re-
markable that individuals of those spe.
cies which travel day and night, and
which, by some cause, are prevented
from migrating, remain, during all the
time of the migration of their species,
awake, and only occupy themselves
with taking food. These birds like par
ticularly to travel in bright moonlight.
OF all migrating birds the cranes are
perhaps the most remarkable. They
seem to be the most endowed with fore
sight. They call each other by GER
tain cries several days before they de-
part, assemble and make great noise,
as If consulting; after which they range
themselves in two lines, forming an
angle, at the vertex of which is the
leader, who appears to exercise author
ity and give orders, for instance, to