The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-12-07
The Birds Moving Time.

The Birds Moving Time.
The Fall ID the time Of year when hun.
drsds of Thousands of birds migrate, by
night and by day, in large battalioss,
from the frost-bound North down 10 the
sunny South. These migrations form ono
of the most interesting studies of orni-
biologists, who tell US that the little voy.
ayers make their long journey with the
precision sud discipline OF an army on
the march. They have their advance
and rear guards, while the main body is
kept compact. OF course there are strag-
glers who are unable to keep up with
their companions, but these fall out of
the rsnks, and unless they perish make
their way as best they can 10 their desti.
nation.
Now that cold weather has set in at
the North, millions of birds Of almost
every species are on the wing for the
South. They are travelling along the
same high roads over which they Lave
passed from time immemorial. Some Of
them go in vast congregations down the
Valley OF the Mississippi, and will not on
any account depart from that route until
they reach their winter abiding place.
Others skirk along the fringe CT the
Rocky Mountains, thousands and thou
sands in flock, balting at any stopping
place, SO long as the weather is mild,
aud, when it is cold again, rising high
into the air with tumult of noises and
continuing their Southwark march.
One of the most interesting things in
connection With the night flying birds is
the apparently perfect system of signall-
ing that they maintain when sometimes
they are a half mile high in the air.
They seem to have arranged q code Of
signals by whiS'llng. The note is, of
course, peculiar to bird, and is used
among Other notes when uingiug, but for
the purpose Of signalling this note only is
used. The bobolink, for instance, which
has wide range of song, when on the
passage has but one cry, and he advises
the maiu body of any threatened danger
by whistliug "spink, spiuk."
The birds that lead the main body are
veterans who have made the march
North and South for half dozen years.
The signal of wild goose is loud
"honk." The kiugfsher, yho chatters
in his Summer creek and scolds 80 that
you might almost imagine that he was
human being, simply gives scream or 4
single reaonat note, which keeps his
forces together. The tbruah and the
robin each give single shrill whistle,
which can be heard across storm at
night for distance of nearly mile.
These birds are all great travellers. Some
of them travel every Spring and Fall
from the shores of Hudson Bay, from
Labrador and even Greenland, to the
tropic of Capricorn, distance of 5000
miles.
Tho maasing of these forces in the
early Fall is very curious and highly in
ts!eating. Not single bird starts South.
ward until the cutting Northern winds
begiu to pipe. Then ali the families or
broods for miles around begin to collect,
until hundreds, snd sometimes thou
sands, get together and form into body
on the edge Of q wood. Here the
younger birds wheel, and scream, and
frolic, chasing zach other through the
air; but the elders sppesr sedate, AID
seem to be waiting to collect together
every bird that should join in the march.
1t has long been matter OF conjecture
as to how these birds can make their way
at night, but it has been held lattsrly by
the bsst ornithologists that they are
guided by the stars. This is proved from
the fact that on clear nights they fly
often to height uf three miles, and at
that distance it would be utter impossi
BILE for them to be guided by the topog-
raphy of the route. Moreover, when the
stars are covered the birds become
bewildsred, and have at once to seek tie
ground.
The captain of 8 schooner trading be-
tween Prince Edward Island and New
fouudland told The writer how on one
occasion, ho had left Newfoundland coast
With q steady Northeastern which blew
straight across the gulf, but, after being
out short time, the wind veered and
blew from the South and it became very
foggy. On the morning of the second
day the crew we're surprised to find about
fifty wild geese on the deck of the vessel,
some of them clngDg to the batches,
deck, or wherever they could get hold.
Now, wild goose never starts out for
journey scrois the sea, unless the wind
is fair, and it will then start in the day,
but not in the night. These birds must
fly By the stars, because they would have
no other guide for GOO or 700 miles of
water. Sometimes, however, the wind
yeers, and as Wild goose will not alight
in the sea, it takes refuge on the first oh.
jsct that comes in sight.-New York Re-
cordsr.
The Worlds Coal Supply.