144 WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



** There remains one route, to my thinking, the 

 most wonderful of all. It runs due north and 

 south from Nova Scotia to the Lesser Antilles and 

 the northern coast of South America. Though 

 more than a thousand miles shorter than the main 

 migration route, it is not employed by any small 

 bird, but thousands of water birds use it for a fall 

 route, as well as the Golden Plover. 



*'It sounds like exaggeration, but this bird has 

 been known to make a single flight of 2,400 miles — 

 the longest known flight of an}^ land bird — abso- 

 lutely without food and rest. ' ' 



The pot-hunter interrupted. 



*'Yo' say it travels over the sea without eatin' 

 or restin ' ? Can 't it pick up fish, like a Gull ? ' ' 



''The Golden Plover is not a water bird," the 

 expert answered. ''It is a marsh bird. If it fell 

 in the water, it would die. It has no oil-glands for 

 oiling its feathers, like sea-birds. It is a running 

 bird, without webs or lobes on its feet. Once 

 launched in the air over the tossing ocean, it must 

 wing its way despite of storm or distance until it 

 reaches land. 



"A few Golden Plover, driven by tempest, from 

 time to time will touch at Cape Cod, a larger num- 

 ber will shape their course for the Bermudas and 



