Evening star., 1912-06-27
MIGRATION OF BIRDS.
Some Fly Two Miles High, Faster
Than an Express Train.
From the Strand.

rom the Stranu.
The problem of how small birds were
able to manage long fights from other
countries exercised the minds of natural
lists for centuries. The first man to collect
accurate information on the subject was
the late Herr Gatke. Living on the little
island of Heligoland, in the direct route
Of migration. and entirely devoted to
lis subject, he was able TO verify for
himself many facts which had until then
escaped notice.
For instance, he pointed out that birds
On migration often few very high-prob-
ably as much as 1900 feet tower two
fly at a great height has been corrobo-
rated by astronomers, who have seen
birds flying across the face of the moon
at height of not less than one mile.
Gatke's ideas on speed We're probably
exaggerated. but only by theory Of a
tremendously swift fight at a high alti-
tude could he account for the fact that
certain birds We're never, or rarely. seen
in the countries between their winter and
summer quarters. For instance, he point
ed out that the blue throat, which winters
in Africa and breeds in Scandinavia. Is
but rarely met with in any of the coun-
tries on the line of route = Italy, Greece
and southern Germany.
When they arrived in Heligoland they
came in large focks and were tired and
exhausted: also they always arrived at
morning. He thought it probable that
they left Africa at dusk the previous
evening. ana ~ flying at the rate OF $50
miles an hour would be able to reach
Hengoland IN the one flight.
Between 1880 and 1887 the British Asso-
citation granted some money To a special
committee for the study OF mgra ton, and
by means OF schedules much information
was collected about the birds that are
killed annually at coast lights. Although
many facts We're thus obtained the OBJ
serNations in this respect are almost
eHtirety dependent weather conditions.
In fact it may be said that the only
migration tnat can be actually seen is
that which has Partially failed. for il IS
only when delayed or held back by storms
or fog that birds obviously on passage
are encountered along the coast in
other places where they are not usually
found
In Denmark and Germany ornitholo-
ElstS nave been experimenting by ring
ing BIRDS and having those that are
caught returned 10 the address given
on the aluminium band placed on the
bird S leg. In this way the habits of mi
grafton. speed and direction OF flight and
other facts are discovered Storks have
given the most striking results from ring
ing. Without exception all storks that
have been recovered in the first autumn
after ringing had travelled i'm a due south
easterly direction.
From Hungary TO Palestine no ringed
birds have been procured. bat from PaIes-
tine four have been returned from Alex
andria one. Blue Nile one Victoria Nv
anza one. ard no fewer than seven from
the Iransvaal. Natal Basutoland. etc,
while OF the Hungarian storks 1marked
BY the Hungarian office no fewer than
seventeen have been recorded from the
various localities in South Africa II is
therefore practically certain that north
German and Hungarian storks travel
southeast to Palestine and thence d,,a
south TO South Africa