THE MIGRATIONS OF OTHER BIRDS 209 



of warblers have been seen also crossing ocean 

 waters during the day. C. J. Maynard, at the close 

 of April in 1884, while sailing through the Bahamas, 

 recorded a considerable flight of warblers, most of 

 them blackpolls, which were passing from the south- 

 east. The birds were flying low, from six to twenty 

 feet above the surface, and passed in little bands 

 containing from two or three to one hundred in- 

 dividuals. They were flying against a northerly 

 wind, which increased until it was quite violent, 

 yet warblers continued to arrive and depart in great 

 numbers from a small islet of two acres extent. This 

 flight continued from April 27 to 29, a period of 

 three days, during which many thousands of warb- 

 lers passed. Maynard considered his centre of ob- 

 servation on Leaf Key as a point in a wide area 

 through which this migration was passing, so that 

 the total flight during these three days was truly 

 enormous. Dr. F. M. Chapman has also noted 

 day-flying flocks in early May, in crossing from 

 Miami to the Biminis. 



Mortality among these sea voyagers must be 

 tremendous. Maynard speaks of finding several 

 dead in the water or on shore where they had fallen. 

 Ships passing through these areas are frequently 

 used as havens of rest, and I have observed that 

 many of the small birds that come to them seem 

 utterly exhausted so that they may be captured in 

 the hand. 



