Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-04-09
MIGRATION OF ANIMALS
BY PROF. 5. NJ. wAYLAND.

stllOlucE, III ScetICu Oh q CllIudJc OI ulS-
trict congeniiI to their habits, forms
one OF the most remarkable phenomena
IN natural history.
Migration takes place with quadru-
peds, fishes, birds and insects. As to
the first, it does not appear that any of
them migrate perIodicallyand regularly,
Ike many species of fish and birds. for
which sufficient reason may be found
in the almost interrupted passage which
air and water permit, whilst the land
offers many impediments 10 change of
place. Yet some qTadrupeds are SD e
denly seized by the desire of migration.
The lemming rat, which is found i'll the
northern part OF Europe, migrates at
irregular periods when severe winter
is approaching, in incr dible numbers,
and always in straight line, stopping
not for rivers or iIkes- Some other
quadrupeiS, also, occasionally move in
large numbers, and for considerable
distances; but the q expeditions do not
take place At regular periods, and seem
TO be owing TO accidental causes.
Some fishes remove into warmer STU
atoms during winter; thus the salmon
leaves the rivers and shores, on the
approach Of winter, to seek tha warmer
waters of the deep sea. Other fish do
the same The CO i-fish move In great
numbers, about the month of May,
from jhe northern seas towards New
fOundland- The shoals OF herrIngs,
which periodically traverse the ocean,
are inuumerable. The same is the case
wiki the ma-kerel, pilchard, anchovy,
etc. That iuSectf migrate is well-known
for inst lnce lUcuSts, ants, etc--and
move with surprising Obstinacy, in a
given direction.
The animals. however, with whose
migrItions man is most familiar, and
which appear To migrate most reg uldrly,
are some sp cies of birds The facts
which are known relative TO this point
are very curious, and afford vast field
f~r interesting observation Some bir,ls
regularly return, after a 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 siorks,
which become half tame in Germany,
have been marked, and found TO return
regularly TO their old nests, built on =
wheel, which the peasants of that coun-
try, particularly i'll the north, place, for
that purpose, on the corner of the roofs
of their houses. The same Is related of
swallows. and other birds of passage.
Other birds do not return TO a partlcu-
lar county, but travel, according to
circumstances, from one TO another.
Among the former are some which T.
main in the country of their nativity
only as long as is necessary TO bree
and bring up Their young; others are
absent but for very short time.
Hunters and other people living much
in the open air, know that certain birds
d. not migrate, except on the approach
of = severe winter. How are these birds
led u migrate at su n seasons. The
general and easy answer Is, by instinct.
But what is instinct? Certainly We
cannot mean, by this term, 4 constant
direct lnteTpJSltlOn OF Providence.
which drives the birds away because
severe winter is coming on. Instinct,
whatever it may be, must be guided by
general laws- In what way, however,
the birds are led to guard against the
severity Of the approaching season,
whether 10y peculiar sensibility TO the
causes from which its severity will pro-
ceed, or In other ways, We know not.
1t has been maintained that much of
the conduct OF animals necessarily i'm
plies reflection. The viclssitudes of the
atmosphere. on the arrival of the mi
=
enc upon them.
Most birds perform their migration
during the night; some species, how
ever. by day. Others stop Mt, either
by day or night. To the class which
fly b. day belong the birds of prey
which obtain their food by day-the
crow, pie, titmousa, wren, wooipecker,
chatiiuch, goldinch, lark, swallow, and
some others. Those which travel by
night are the owl, blackbirds, etc. and
a great number of aquatic birds Those
which stop not, day or night, are the
heron, wagtail. yellow hammer. plover,
stbrk. crane, wild goose, swan 1t Is
very remarkable, that individuals of
those species which travel day AM
ght, aud which, by some cause. are
prevented fIOm migrating, remain dur
ius a.. the time OF the mIGrttion OF
their species, awake, anl only occupy
themselves with taking food. These
birds like particularly to travel in
bright moonlight
Many birds obtain their food on tbs
wing. The swallO IS, traversing the
sea, catch insects. md fishing birris
cItch fish, whilst they continue their
tourney. If the titmDuse, wren wool
Pecker and PIE rest for some time on
the branches of trees, they soon resume
their flight, after having fed Those
birds which hdbitually alight on spots
where they find nOuTishment IN abun-
dance, never remain longer than two
days in sue ceSSion, If nothing opposes
the continuance of their flight II IS a
curious fact that at these times many
birds utter cries such that they are never
heard to make at any other time I'm
Z 4 l.,- 70 Eaan
ground birls generally fly very high
during their migration.
OF all migrating birds the cranes are
perhaps the most remarkable They
sem to be most endowed with fore
sight. They call each other 10y certa II
cries several days before they depart,
assemble and III Ike a great noise, as If
| consulting; after which they range
themselves In two lines forming an
angle. at the verteN OF which Is the
| leader, who appears TO exercise author
Ity ana give orders, for instance, to
[ form 4 circle in a tempest, or To be
witchful If eagles approach, et'-; he
always gives the sign TO descent and
| take fool If he is tire :. he places him
self az tie end of the line, and the next
/ bird behind him tales his place. They
utter, during the night, more piercing
cries than during the day, and it seems
as If orders and an 'wer5 were given.
/ Wild geese and ducks travel in a simI-
lar way. To enable birds to fly with
ease. and To continue long on the wing,
| they must ily against the wind, in
which respect flying IS directly opposite
! to sailing.
Garrick collar now carries the day,
and is worn both by grown people and
children.