138 THE MIGRATIONS OF BIRDS 



extending in part through the Bahamas and the 

 larger West Indian Islands, to the Lesser Antilles, 

 and then down the course of these small islands to 

 the mainland of South America. No land birds are 

 known to make the long sea flight that this journey- 

 entails, but it is a regular route in autumn lor thou- 

 sands of water-birds, of which the golden plover is 

 the best example. The route seems to be used by- 

 many other shore-birds, which pass directly south 

 without troubling to follow the eastern coast line of 

 the United States, as distance means little to these 

 strong flyers. It is also the passage taken in part by 

 such sea-birds as jaegers, and perhaps by the Arctic 

 tern. As it lies at sea, it is known definitely only at 

 the terminals or at the intermediate lands that offer 

 points of observation. Some shore-birds that nest 

 on the Arctic tundras of northwestern North 

 America in autumn fly southeast to follow finally 

 the sea road that has just been outlined. 



Another regular lane extends down the eastern 

 coast of the United States, restricted for some 

 species to the immediate vicinity of salt water, while 

 for others there is available inland a broad stretch of 

 land along which minor routes of travel may be es- 

 tablished. Many coastal points in this line are 

 famous as points of observation both for land and 

 water-birds as they offer a considerable diversity of 

 natural conditions. The shore-birds that have been 



