ORIENTATION AND ROUTE FINDING 63 



statements. Referring to hooded crows, he says 

 1 To escape the disagreeable experience of having 

 the wind (south-east) blowing through their plumage 

 obliquely from behind, they turn their body south- 

 ward, and appear to be flying in this direction. 

 This, however, is not the case. They do not make 

 the least forward progress to the south, but their 

 flight is continued in as exactly a westerly course, 

 and with the same speed, as though the birds were 

 moving under favourable conditions straight for- 

 wards, i.e., in the direction of the long axis of the 

 bodies. This is shown in the most convincing 

 manner by such bands as happen to pass immedi- 

 ately over the head of the observer. 



" Besides hooded crows, many other, indeed 

 perhaps all species, are capable of executing a later- 

 ally-directed movement of flight of this nature, 

 not only under such compulsory conditions as they 

 may encounter during the flight of migration, but 

 also during the ordinary activities of their daily 

 life " (29). He admits that he once thought it was 

 a drift to leeward, but that he is now convinced that 

 it is intentional, and is sure proof of his East to West 

 flight. In the face of such absurd statements as 

 these, how can anyone quote Gatke as an authority 

 on migration ! Yet, in recently-published books, 

 this east to west flight across Heligoland to York- 

 shire is stated to be a proved fact, though Mr Eagle 



