144 Rhodora [Juny 
regard to this Mr. Andersen says that in Denmark during a period of 
4-5 years the intestines of all the birds found at the lighthouses were 
examined with the result that all without exception were empty, i. e. 
the birds migrate on an empty stomach. Even if a bird had taken food 
just before it left the nearest land, Shetland, it would not retain it 
until it reached the Faeróes, as it takes at most a few hours to digest 
the food and the useless parts are doubtless ejected during flight. 
With regard to the seeds adhering to the birds, Mr. Andersen says 
that here also we must bear in mind that we are speaking of migrating 
birds, for while a bird shot in the fields may have clumps of earth, etc. 
(possibly with seeds) adhering to it, this has never been found to be 
the case with migratory birds on the move, and he again refers to 
the quantity of birds from lighthouses which he has had for investi- 
gation to support him in stating with some certainty that migratory 
birds are almost always clean when they journey.” 
““Thus we see that an ornithologist is of opinion that migratory 
birds are of hardly any importance as disseminators of plants.” ! 
Warming, referring to Andersen's conclusions, supplements them 
with the conclusions of the Danish zoologist, Winge: 
““For a number of consecutive years thousands of birds, picked 
up dead at the Danish lighthouses, have been sent to the Zoological 
Museum in Copenhagen, and notes on these dead birds have for 
many years been published annually by H. Winge in ‘Videnska- 
belige Meddelelser fra Naturhist. Forening.’ This eminent zoologist 
writes to me, in a letter dated March 27, 1903, as follows:— ‘In one 
of the first years, the contents of the stomachs were systematically 
examined, later on only occasionally, but the stomach has always 
proved to be empty, only rarely some very slight traces of food have 
been found, viz. small pieces of the testa of seeds, etc. (besides, in 
some cases, a little sand or small stones, etc.). Though I have had 
thousands of dead migratory birds between my hands, and have made 
a habit of examining every single one, I have not as yet found any seeds 
adhering to the feathers, beaks, or feet. Small crusts or lumps 
of dried mud or clay occur fairly often on the beaks and feet of birds 
such as wading-birds, larks, starlings, etc.; whether these crusts or 
lumps contain microscopical germs, has not yet been ascertained 
(they may undoubtedly do so), but seeds, such as may be discerned 
by the naked eye or with a pocket-lens, have not been found.” 
1 Ostenfeld, Botany of the Faeróes, i. 116, 117 (1901). 
