Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-01-29
BIRD VOYAGES
ARE DESCRIBED
IN new BOOKS

The life histories of birds who sum-
mer in the shadow of the North Pole
and winter 10000 miles away at the
opposite end of the globe, are told in
new volume from the Smithsonian
institution. The migrants belong to
the group of shore birds and the pres
ent volume treats of phalaropes, stills,
avosets, woodcocks, snipe, dowitchers,
knots, various sandpipers, sanderlings,
godWits, red shanks and yellow legs
A forthcoming volume will complete
the shore birds. This one forms num-
Der seven in the monumental series
covering all North American birds pre-
pared by Arthur Cleveland Bent of
Taunton, Mass, collaboration of the
Smithsonian, and issued as bulletins of
the national museum under the Smith
sonian. When completed the series
will contain 20 or more volumes.
The annual migrations Of some of
the shore birds from their nests in
the Arctic to their winter homes in
southernmost South America and back
again, form one of the wonders of
bird life in the new world.
The sanderling, who is perhaps the
champion globe-trotter among birds,
wintering from our shores to the Ant
arctic, starts north in March or April,
passes through New England in May
and early June, and arrives at it's
nesting site in northeastern Greenland
ing season is over the adults are
ready to start back as early as July,
but the young birds pass through New
England III the latter part of August
and are most abundant in September
and October, and the arrivals south of
the equator stretch from August to
November.
Fly When Very Small
What is even more amazing than
these distances is the, age at which
the young of some species make the
southern flight Speaking of the pee
toral sandpiper, Mr. Bent quotes one
authority to the effect that when
they are but 80 minutes old, their
apparently slight legs carry them over
the ground with great rapidity In
three weeks they are flying and six
weeks later they are off on their long
journey to the south, crossing mighty
mountain ridges, great stretches OF
land and of sea-"
And w. H. Hudson, author of Green
Mansions" is quoted as follows:
among these first comers there are
some young birds, so immature, with
threads of yellow down still adhering
to the feathers of the head, and al
together weak in appearance, that one
can scarcely credit the fact that as
soon after being Matched they have
actually. peri orm e d the stupendouS
journey from the northern extremity
of the North An 0 lcan continent to
the Buenos-Ayrean pampas"
Not All Fly Far
However, not all the birds discussed
by Mr.. Bent in this volume make such
long nigrations. The red-backed sand
piper he describes as a '1azy bird, I
for it winters farther north than most
of its tribe and makes shorter migra
tions than any of the Waders that
breed in Arctic regions "Its winter
range is well within the U mite d
States"
Neither do all the shore birds cling
to the shore, The red phalerope
"migrates and apparently spends the
winter far out on the open sea, often
a hundred miles or more from land. :"
Only thick weather or a severe storm
drives it ashore. Naturally, these
birds are excellent swimmers. "Their
semi -palmated and 'lobed toes are well
adapted for swimming and the thick,
compact plumage of their under parts
protects them and buoys them up on
the water.
It is to be expected that such hardy
travellers as most of the shore birds
are would be- strong and swift filters.
OF the woodcock, Mr.. Bent quotes an
authority as saying: ''The rapld1ty OF
flight of this bird is at times so great
that pane of plate glass more than
three-eighths of an inch thick has
been smashed by the contact and one
was actually impaled on the weather
cock of one of the churches IN
Ipswich"
Behave Like Humans
In dealing with each species, MI.
Bent follows a regular sequence IN
Guiding courtship nesting, young, teed-
ing habits, behavior, enemies, etc. Inc
inevitable feeling of the layman after
reading this volume is that these blrds
are human, above all in their lido
svncracies. For instance, no husband
could be more henpecked than the
tinid and dull-colored little male phal-
arope. The female exceeds him III
size and brilliancy of plumage and mas
the decisive power in all family affairs
Seemingly against his will, she
forces him into Tnatrimony, over
whelnning him with swimming dance,
pushing him with her bill, scolding
him. Also she is the complete feml-
mist. AS far as she is concerned, the
mans place is in the home, and once
she has deposited the egg she leaves
the Matching of them entirely up TO
him. He incubates them and cares tor
the young while she gads about WIFI
other equally irresponsible wives.
Mr.. Bent quotes one very amusing
account of an unheppy husband. a
nair were seen together, the male OF
which "was apparently tired out, ana
whenever the hen stopped, as she ire
ouently did, to preen herself or iced
he sat down where he was and tucK-
ing his bill under his feathers Went
to sleep. Before he had dozed 1or
more than minute, however the
female would peck him awake and'
calling ENORMOUSLY, force him to to!-
low her while she led the way through
Nov, then she flew