1906] The Migration of Birds. 35 



warblers and shore birds as early as July, by more in August, but 

 the bulk of it takes place in September ; the number of birds de- 

 creasing rapidly during October, and a few bringing up the rear 

 in November. 



Now, as to the time of the day in which the migrations take 

 place. The rule here seems to be : The weak-winged and timid 

 birds, such as rails and some sandpipers, etc., birds finding their 

 food under cover, as the warblers, some finches, thrushes, vireos, 

 etc., migrate during the night, so they can rest during the day and 

 find their food more easily than they could at night. Other birds, 

 strong of wing, fearless, finding their food more in the open, as 

 the blackbirds, the robin, etc., travel partly during the day or 

 night, making use of either or both times to suit their pleasure. 

 A third class, such having long wings, expert tireless fliers, which 

 find their food while flying, as the swift, the swallows, also the 

 gulls, terns, hawks, etc., travel by day exclusively, for apparent 

 reasons. 



Over what distances do their migrations take the birds ? That 

 is again extremely variable. When our Ruffed Grouse {Bonasa 

 wmbellus togata) leisurely walks from its summer haunts on top of 

 one of the Laurentian hills to the north of us and goes down a mile 

 into the nearest cedar or spruce swamp, that may also be called a 

 migration. The same can be said, when some birds breeding in 

 the Rocky Mountains near the summit or the timber line, leave 

 these quasi boreal regions and by descending a mile or two enter 

 the temperate or even subtropical zone. Some of our breeding 

 birds go further, as the Purple Finch, Junco, etc., and winter 

 2-300 miles south in New York State. From that the distances 

 increase rapidly to as much as 8,000 miles for one trip, as in the 

 case of the Golden Plover, the Knot, the Eskimo Curlew and many 

 more. 



Over what routes do they travel ? As a general rule we may 

 say, that the birds breeding from Labrador and Ungava south- 

 ward, go to Florida, as their first stage of migration, many 

 species of course wintering north of that. Those breeding west of 

 Hudson Bay and east of the Rocky Mountains in the great Mis- 

 sippi water shed, go towards and to Louisiana. Those breeding 

 in and west of the Rocky Mountains travel overland entirely into 



