MIGRATIONS OF BIRDS, 37 



the winter, and soou after Christmas began to moult, which they got through -without 

 any difficulty, and lived three or four years, regidarly moulting every year at the iisual 

 time. On the renewal of their feathers, it appeared that their tails were forked exactly 

 the same as in those birds which return hither in the spring, and in every respect their 

 appearance was the same." * 



It has been, however, sagaciously conjectured by Dr. Forster, that those birds whicli 

 have been found in a state of torpidity — in the crex^ices of rocks, in holes of old decayed 

 trees, in ruined towers, and under the thatch of houses — had, owing to some accident, 

 been hatched later in the year than ordinarily, and consequently had not acquired 

 sufficient strength to undergo the fatigue of a long journey on the wing, at the time 

 when the migration of the rest of their species took place ; and that to shelter themselves 

 from the inclemency of the weather, they had sought retreats wherein, from cold and 

 hunger, they had sunk into a state of torpidit}-. 

 Burns patheticaUj' asks — 



" Ilk happing bird, wee helpless thing, 

 Which, ill the meny months of spring, 

 Delighted me to hear thee sing, 



What comes o' thee ? 

 Where wilt thou cow'r thy chittcring wing. 

 And close thy e'e ? " 



Eut, in a multitude of instances, the inquiry must remain unanswered. In the mode of 

 migration, however, we know there is a great diversitj'. The males in certain cases 

 travel first, and are afterwards followed b}^ their mates and the younger branches of their 

 families. Most birds perform their migrations during the night ; but there are some that 

 travel only by day, and others that fly onwards, unaffected alike by night or day. The 

 owl, the blackbird, and a great number of aquatic birds, shun the light ; while the crow, 

 the pie, the titmouse, the wren, the woodpecker, the chaffinch, the goldfinch, the lark, the 

 swallow, and sonte others, avail themselves of it. And as the heron, the wagtail, the 

 yellowhammer, the stork, the crane, the plover, the swan, and the wild goose, do not 

 intermit their flight, they choose a bright moonlight season to set out on their journey. 



Of all migrating birds, the cranes may perhaps be considered the most remarkable. 

 Thej^ seem to be most endowed with foresight, and have every ajjpearance of consultation 

 and regular preparation for the time of their departure. Several days before, they utter 

 peculiar cries, and assemble with much noise and bustle. They then form themselves 

 into two lines, making an angle, at the vertex of which, one of their number, who is 

 regarded as the general director of their proceedings, takes his place. It seems, indeed, 

 as if the office of the leader were to exercise authorit}^, and issue orders to the whole 

 party, gi\ing the signal for their descent and feedmg, and guiding them in inclement 

 weather in their circling flight. The commands, and answers to them, appear to be given 

 in piercing cries. If the leader grows tired, his place is taken by the birds next to him, 

 while he retires to the end, and thus their orderly flight is directed. 



The destination of some birds is no matter of doubt. In the year 1833, a Polish 

 gentleman ha\'ing caught a stork upon his estate near Lemberg, put round its neck an 

 iron collar, bearing the inscription, ILvc ciconia ex Po/oiiia, (" this stork comes fi-om 

 Poland,") and set it at liberty. In the following year, the bird returned to the same 

 spot, and was again caught by the same person. It had acquired a new collar, of gold, 

 with the inscription, India cum donis remittit ciconiam Pohiiis, (" India sends back the 

 stork to the Poles with gifts.)" It is worthy of remark that the stork emigrates oh the 

 approach of winter, even when circumstances of climate or food cannot operate, or can 

 operate but faintly, in inducing it to do so. Thus, at Bagdad, which enjoys an extremely 



' " British Birds," i. 328. 



