New-York tribune., 1918-10-13

shire little time ago, some
N. American ''buddies" and ! made
acquaintance of a truly cxtraor-
when we called on him he was looking for
ward with keen anticipation to keeping an
uncommonly interesting appointment"
In about a fortnight, he told US, ne was
expecting to welcome back to England a
coupc who would be returning from South
Africa They would, he explained, be fly
vel in drigible. He expected them to
arrive on a definite day and to alfght in
his garden
He was absolutely certain that they
would arrive punctually to date, for they
have done regularly as clockwork
for the past five years, and always have
landed in the trim garden at the back OF
his house.
This pair was, as you perhaps already
have foreseen, Il pair of brds-little fly
ca.ehers. Mr.. Hart explained that he
would be able to recognize them the more
readily owing to the fact that each of them
little silver bracelet, which he himself
placed there five years ago. Every autumn
since then he has seen this little husband
and wife who belong to a species which
mates for lifel fly away to winter in South
Africa, and every spring he has welcomed
them back again, knowing to a day when
they would arrive.
These fycatchcrs, moreover, are only
two ont of hundreds of birds whose date
OF arrival back from their winter quar-
ters in lands beyond the seas-lands as far
distant as New Zealand, Patagonia and
Persia-a-e known definitely and awaited
eagerly each year by this bird wizard of
Christchurch- For wizard Edward Hart is,
as few curious and striking little facts
will demonstrate convincingly He can
call wild birds to him almost as readily
as you I call passing dog that is
disposed to be friendly When by dint of
persistent questioning, the "buddies" and
! finally managed to make him talk of this
surprising faculty Of his, he called at
tention to the cloth of his left trouser leg,
Just above the knee, and showed that, in
this particular place, the nap was quite
worn away. Then he explained that this
was so owing to the number of wild birds
migrating birds, most of thcm--tfat have
perched upon his knee since he was wearing
the suit of which those trousers are part.
We could not get him TO say definitely
how many birds have perched there in
that time, but in the course of some years
ne has put his little identifying bracelets
on the legs of as many as 500. Each of the
little silver bracelets bears a number, and
not only is Mr.. Hart thus able to recog-
nize his little friends when they reappear
after wintering in tropical countries, but
other natuTalists in those countries which lie
along the migration route-which extends
from pole to pole--can tell where these
Correspondence between these crnitholo-
eists in recent years has established certain
facts regarding bird migration that arc
amazing it would be difficult to believe
them If experts, who have devoted their
lives to the study of the subject, were not
able to supply convincing evidence Of their
truth
| wonder, for example. how many are
aware that the "sandpiper' covers the dis
tance between New Zealand and Siberia in
i've flights, each representing about day.
thus travelling at the rate of upward of
1870 miles an hour.
This rate" says Mr.. Hart, makes
Ten hours sufficient to carry them across
the widest that they have to traverse
on their way. They fly at night and rest
on the land during the day, this for the