The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-11-28
NIGHT FLYERS MIGRATION.

| a party OF men VINO haQ QOnnet
their heavy ulsters, and evidently pre-
pared for cold nights outing, tool
the last boat to Bedloe's Island OF
Tuesday night Their mission was {
secret. No outsider could have guessed
what DR. Allen, the snake man; L. S
Forster, Frank H. Chapman, Of the
Museum of Natural History; Jonathan
Dwight, Jr., and Tappan Adney, the
pen and ink artist OF the Museum, and
several other scientists were going &c
| do.
The night was dark, cold and buster
ing, but that was just the kind oi
weather these men wanted. This is
the great wandering season of the
birds. The cold weather in the North
has started millions of teathered inhab
itants frC n the chilly plains and groan
ing woods southwark. Hundreds OF
thousands pass New York following
the Atlantic coast until they strike the
sunny South.
The visit of the scientific men was
to determine the number OF birds that
passed in the neighborhood of the
Statue of Liberty; too see whether
different species of birds became mix
ed up IN the flight, and to note their
calls and different systems of signals,
and, if possible, to find some new
species.
For years past the Agricultural De-
partment at Washington has paid the
closest attention TO the migration of
birds, and this year blank circulars
have been sent to every lighthouse
keeper, requiring him to enter upon it
the different species of birds which
passed his lighthouse, and also to make
an estimate of the numbers of the
various clans of birds coming under
his notice. In case he is not able to
designate bird, he is requested to
send the head and wing to the depart
ment, which afterward transmits them
either to the experts of the Smithsonian
Institution Or the National Museum.
The Agricultural Department wants
to determine the birds that are harmless
and those that are not. The English
sparrow, which was always believed to
be friend OF the farmer, is, according
to the latest scientific researches,
harmful and no good. The Victorian
government in Australia now pays
bounty of twopence for each sparrow
lgg delivered to 1t.
JUST THE NIGHT TO SEE THEM.
After the party Of scientists had re-
mained on the upper gallery OF the
statue for few hours certain small,
dark clouds appeared TO windward.
They were not ordinary clouds. They
were birds, and they were on their way
down the coast. 1t was the best kind
of a night that could have been chosen
to make an investigation under the
flaming hand of the Goddess OF Liberty.
Thousands and thousands of birds came
by in separate flocks. The first to sp-
pear were crow blackbirds, which
formed dark cloud as they swept by,
the leaders giving loud caws. Then
followed separate focks of thrushes
and robins, both flying in irregular
lines, while all the different varieties OF
warblere followed the tail of these two
little armies in very much the same
fashion as a New York crowd will follow
up Decoration Day parade.
There was a pause of nearly an hour
before a regiment Of merry mocking
birds were kind enough to give evil
dence of their existence. They were
flying in fairly straight line and with
remarkable uniformity of movement
then at short intervals followed the
aristocrats of the woodpecker tribe,
namely hIgholes Or golden wings"
Next to these came innumerable nu-
tbatches, kinghshers and humming
birds, joined by larks, sandpipers and
plover. The different varieties of Snipe,
with the Wilson and sea snipe, leading,
formed strictly separate crowds. After
several congregations of brants had
also passed a compact phalanx OF
geese, notably the anSey caNadenlHS,
swept by at such great height that it
would have been difficult to recognize
them were it not for their characteris-
tic order of flight.
NEXT THE MUSICAL BOBOLINK.
The array of musical bobollnks which
passed over the dying rays of the har
Dor lights flew il good Bohemian fash
ion, with do distinctive leader. Large
congregations OF wood duck, black