The evening times., 1898-04-19
BIRDS AND
THEIR TRAVELS
Their Habits as Noted in the
Yearly Migrations.
Regular Flights From NOrsh ia
south in the Fall aud Buck
Again in the Spring.

To the dweller in a city whose boast
might well be we have killed all our
trees the advent of the Spring birds
rarely means anything. But to the aver
age city inhabitant Spring means other
things than early flowers and birds In
New York city and its near vicinity over
ninety different kinds of birds take up
their Summer residence, and from late in
February until the beginning of June
song after song is added to the choir"
and trees. woods and fields are filed with
a melody of sound. Yet the habits and as
pect of not more than two or three of
the most common kinds of these singers
are even familiar to the average person.
One by one the familiar and ever-wel-
come little winged friends come back from
their Winter in the South. and wonderful
as it seems that they should know when
TO come. rarely deviating more than day
or two each year. still more marvellous
is it that they should know how To come.
apparently travelling in the same way
with almost answering regularity.
Many theories have been advanced re-
garding the fight of the birds from North
to South, and back i'm the Spring, none
fully accounting for all the facts, and
some based almost wholly on assumptions
yet to be proved There are, though, GER
tain curious things concerning these mi
grations that have been noted, for. al
though the birds appear free, they
doubtless look upon certain places
home ana others as only stopping places.
AND the birds idea of home seems to be
the place where the young are reared,
the native place of the nesting; many
birds will use the same tree or spot for
several years for nest building.
OF course. all birds do not migrate. but
the cold and the scarcity of flying insects
upon which so many of them live compel
most of the birds in the colder climates
to travel. and at the approach Of the Win
ter the long flight southwark begins, and,
in the same way, as the warm sunshine
tells OF the coming of the Spring and
Summer with their insect and plant life
the journey North is made.
The most interesting ques lion OF ali the
many relating to the travelling of the
birds is: What guides them How
much OF their fiigh; is intuition through
heredity il is Difficult TO ascertain. FlOcks
are known to take long flights over water
without a stop for rest and food. ana
going i'm the same direction. apparently.
their ancestors did who travelled these
seas at time when, as geologists claim,
there were several groups OF islands and
iourneyers plenty of resting places And
thus the bird Of today. knowing the way
South by this line. keeps to IL long after
all the islands have been submerged, its
wings often showing a greater breadth
and strength in the later generations.
proving that nature has made provision
for The longer flight without rest.
Birds. however. not unlike men. appar-
entity think out the way OF the flight. ana
often take a new direction where be ter
food and shelter are afforded. Yet the
great ajority travel in the good old way
of the forefathers How many of the
same birds make their journeys il is. OF
course. almost impossible to tell. but
many circumstances go to prove the re-
turn of birds to the old haunts.
In proof of this pretty story is told
i'm Germany. A Stork that had taken up
its Summer quarters in a certain village
became great pet with a family TO
whose home he frequently came. Loath
to part with him when the migratory
season apprOa ched. vet not wishing To
make prisoner Of him. ii was determin-
ed to test the idea of whether the same
birds come back in the Spring to the
same places. SO small nickel ring was
put around the stork's neck, with the
words: Germany sends greeting to this
bird distant friends And the bird flew
away with his companions. When the
Spring returned the birds came back.
and among a flock of storks that set
lied down on the roofs of the houses was
one that wore gold ring about its neck
When the bird was caught the ring
was found an Inscription. returning the
friendly greeting of the German family.
avid sending a message from far-ofT In
dia.
without doubt. most of birds ideas
of geography are hereditary and the
way many flocks still travel gives to ge-
ologists the knowledge of many changes
N the earths surface. The subject of
the distribution of the birds is full OF
suggestions Of ancient geography. and |
glimpse back through the inherited WAYS |
OF the bird fiocks give us data away be /
yOnd our oldest records Columbus is /
said TO have been influenced in his course |
by the flight of an army of birds. which /
led him TO the West Indies rather than |
to the coast Of Florida. and these same /
bird-fiights' are still to be noticed at |
that place at the same time each year.