Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-11-06
MIGRATION OF BIRDS.
Some Fly Two Miles High-Faster
Than an Express Train.

Than an Express Train.
The problem OF how small birds were
able to manage long flights from other
countries exercised the minds OF natural
lists for centuries, The first man to collect
accurate information was Gatke. Living
on the little island of aeiigoiand, in direct
route OF migration, and entirely devoted
to his subject, says a writer in the Strand
ne was able to verify for himself many
facts which had, until then, escaped no.
tice.
For instance, he pointed out that birds
on migration often few very high-proba-
bly, as much as twelve thousand feet
tover two miles) above the ground. That
they do fly at great height has been cor
roborated 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 were probably
exaggerated, but only by theory OF a
tremendously swift fight at high alti-
tude could he account for the fact that
certain birds were never, or rarely, seen
in the countries between their winter and
sumner quarters. For instance, he
pointed out that the blue throat, which
winters in Africa and breeds in Scandi-
nsvia, is but rarely met with in any OF the
countries on the line of route - Italy,
Greece, southern Germany.
When they arrived in Heligoland they
came in large fiocks and were tired and
exhausted; also, they always arrived at the
same hour somewhat late in the morning
He thought it probable that they lef,
Africa at dusk the previous evening and,
by flying at the rate Of $50 miles an hour
would be able to reach Heiigoiand in the
one flight.
Between 1850 and 1887 the British AS
ISOLATION granted some money to a special
committee for the study OF migration, and
by means OF schedules much information
was collected about the birds that are
killed annually at coast lights. Although
many facts were thus obtained, the opser-
vations in this respect are almost entirely
dependent on weather conditions, In fact
Il may be said that the only migration
that can be actually seen is that which has
partially failed, for it is only when de-
layed or held back by storms or fog that
birds obviously on passage are encountered
along the coast or in other places where
they are not usually found.
In Denmark and Germany ornitholo-
gists have been experimenting by ringing
birds and having those that are caught re-
turned to the address given on the
aluminium band placed ON the birds leg.
In this way the habits OF migration,
speed and direction of fight and other
facts are discovered. Storks have given
the most striking results from ringing.
Without exception, all storks that have
been recovered in the first autumn after
ringing had travelled in due south
easterly direction.
From Hungary to Palestine no ringed
birds have been procured, but from Pales-
tine four have been returned, from Alex
andria one, Blue Nile one, Victoria Nyanza
one, and no fewer than seven from the
Trsnsvaal, Natal, Basutolapd, etc, while
Of the Hungarian storks (marked by the
Hungarian office) no fewer than seventeen
have been recorded from the various To-
calities in South Africa. 1t is, therefore,
practically certain that north German and
Hungarian storks travel southeast to Pal
estine and thence due south to South
Africa.
1t has further been proved that the
majority OF those obtained in spring on
the return journey returned to within a
few miles of their home. As regards the
actual distance and age OF some OF these
ringed birds, two of them, when nine
months old, were shot about 5000 miles
from their birthplace, and one young one
in autumn travelled ever 400 miles in two
days.
There is still one point left to be further
investigated. How do birds find their
wayg So far as we are aware, only one ex-
pertinent has been made on these lines.
This was carried out by DIR. Watson, an
American, who took some terms from their
nests on rocky isiet near the coast OF
Florida. Having marked them, he re-
leased them at sea about 500 miles to
the north OF their home and several hum
dred miles north of their normal range,
The birds, therefore, being liberated at
sea, where neither they nor their snces-
tors had ever before been, it would seem
that they could not find their way back.
Yet in the course OF few days fair pro-
portion had returned to their island
home. This experience is certainly con-
elusive as showing that some birds have
the power OF orientstion and of finding
their way without the aid of any land
marks or inherited knowledge.