The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-06-17

~ URING the period OF migration
many species Of birds perform
their aerial journeys by night.
~ You must not suppose that this
flight is confined to what are
known the nocturnal birds, such as
the owls and the whippoorwills; for, as a
matter of fact. almost the only species
that migrate by day are the ducks and
geese, and even most Of them prefer 10
travel by night. The little birds that sing
and fit about US by day. and roost at
night in the bushes and trees or in grassy
couches on the ground, and seem 10 be
especially created for the sunshine-these
winged creatures, when the time for the
semi-ahnual migration arrives, rise high
in the air at the approach OF night, and
perform journeys OF hundreds Of miles
through the trackless darkness.
The truth Of this statement may be
easily proved. On almost any night OF
the spring or autumn you may hear the
chirping of the feathere6~voya gers over
head. II Is evident, too. that they arrive
at a given point during the night or early
in the morning, for on one day. look as
you will. you may not be able to see OF
hear a single bird OF a certain species in
your neighborhood. but early the next
morning you may find many individuals
OF that group, proving that they must
have arrived some time during the night.
To cite a concrete case. on the 18th OF
April Of the present year not a chirping
sparrowNwas to be seen about my prem
ises, but the next morning a little after
sunrise one Of them announced his ART
val by triling his weil-known aria, and
l soon found that there were three or
four others in my yard and the adjoin-
ing lot Besides, at many other places
in the city / heard their monotonous but
pleasing trills during the day
Here is another interesting fact. Dur
ing the fall nigrations most OF the large
nocks are found early in the morning on
belts, while in the spring the reverse is
true-that is. they are found on the south
side. Indicating in each case the direction
from which they have come
IL is not TO be supposed that these
winged pilgrims can see their way In the
darkness except, perhaps, very indis-
tinctly. How. then. are they able to pur-
sue the proper course through the track
less airf No doubt they accomplish IL by
a sort of instinct, or a general sense of
the direction in which they intend to
fly at the time Of starting. That this the
DRY has some foundation is proved by the
fact that. when an unexpected storm
arises during the night, the feathered
army Is often thrown into dire confusion,
dashing against distractions far too fire.
quently with fatal effect and giving every
evidence Of having lost their way.
should like TO call the readers atten-
ton TO the vast numbers of birds that are
pursuing their journey above us while
We are wrapped in slumber. Think of he
thousands of miles OF country that stretch
from the Atlantic TO the Pacific. and yet,
during the food tide OF migration you
might take your stand Mt night ut almost
any point in our central ATTITUDES and
listen TO the almost lncessant chirping Of
the feathered voyagers overhead. not
only for an hour or two, but from early
evening 10 the break OF day, What le-
gions OF BIRDS We really can form only
a faint conception OF their numbers
An expert student has recently made
some unique observations on the noe
turnai flight OF the avian hosts, and I am
sure that they will excite the wonder Of
every reader. On the evening Of Septem-
Der II. 1896. he took his place on slight
elevation in the vicinity OF three lakes in
the state of Wisconsin. The weather was