of migration. A study of their habits shows that they do not go out over the 

 water in their search for food for distances greater than fifteen to eighteen miles, 

 consequently any distance north of Bird Key greater than this would take the birds 

 into an unknown territory. Here if anything, then, we have material at hand for 

 carrying out experiments upon distant orientation. We can send birds out over 

 an ocean pathway or we can send them inland. My experiments have not been 

 carried very far at the present time, but they have already progressed far enough 

 to give some really astonishing results. 



After the egg is laid, the male and female birds take turns at brooding, and 

 one bird is always to be found at the nest. At this time the birds are bold and can 

 be captured easily. After being captured they are marked individually with large 

 streaks of different colored oil paints. These markings can be so varied that each 

 bird sent out has a different marking. The nest is then tagged, showing the time 

 of the bird's removal. A record is kept of the weather and the number of days it 

 takes the bird to return, I began my experiments by sending them out in pairs to 

 distances respectively of twenty, forty-five, sixty-six, and one hundred and eight 

 miles, different birds being used in each test. In all cases the birds returned from 

 these trips in good condition. The average rate of flight could not be determined 

 accurately by reason of the fact that the birds stopped to feed upon the schools of 

 small minnows which jump out over the surface of the water. These distances 

 were all to the east and to the south of Bird Key. I then determined, since 

 my time was short, to give the birds a severe trial by sending them almost due 

 north. On the early morning of June 13, 1907, five birds were put into a large 

 insect cage and given into the charge of Dr. H. E, Jordan, who was returning to 

 New York. He carried the birds via the government tug to Key West, There 

 food was purchased for them (small minnows). At three in the morning of Fri- 

 day, the 14th, Doctor Jordan boarded the Mallory boat Denver, which was leaving 

 Key West at that time for New York. On board the boat the birds (which were 

 carried in the hold of the vessel) were both watered and fed. On Sunday, the 

 16th, at nine in the morning, the birds were released at latitude 35°, longitude 75° 

 10' (approximately twelve miles east of Cape Hatteras). The wind was fair and 

 fresh for several days after the birds were released. I kept their nests under con- 

 stant observation, but had almost given up hope of their return, when, to my sur- 

 prise, on June 21st, at half past eight in the morning, I found two of the marked 

 birds upon their respective nests. The nest mates of the other three birds had 

 taken new nest companions; consequently had the marked birds returned they 

 would have been unable to obtain possession of the nest. A few days later I by 

 chance observed one of the marked birds attempting to alight at its own nest. It 

 was immediately driven away. Three of the five birds are thus known to have 

 returned. I have little doubt that the other two birds also returned. The dis- 

 tance in a straight line from Hatteras to Bird Key is approximately eight hundred 

 and fifty miles. The alongshore route is about one thousand and eighty-one miles. 

 The latter is the route in all probability chosen by the birds, since by studying their 



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