PREFACE TO ENGLISH EDITION 



As I am, in a measure, godfather to this Edition of" Mr. 

 Giitke's Observations on the avifauna of Heligoland, it 

 becomes a real pleasure to me to draw the attention 

 of English-reading ornithologists to the true value and 

 worth of the author's work. He has studied the subject 

 of Migration of Birds and Bird-Life at all seasons at his 

 great observatory, with little cessation or interruption, day 

 after day, and night after night, for the last fifty yeai's ; 

 and I consider that the unstinted gratitude of all fellow- 

 workers in the same field is due to him for addiug such a 

 luminous and important contribution to our knowledge of 

 the ways of Birds. 



The plan of Mr. Gatke's work is excellent, and at once 

 stamps it as representative of good work done both in the 

 field and in the study. He tells us, and we can reaHse the 

 fact, that Heligoland stands pre-eminent as an ornitho- 

 logical observatory in the west of Europe. It is the key, 

 as it were, to the situation, so far as ascertained by these 

 fifty years of observation and experience ; and as such is 

 expounded in the present volume. How difi'erent was the 

 earlier age of superstition — not even yet entirely dispelled 

 — followed by the age of theory wliich succeeded, and 

 which latter still rears rather a hydra-head of trouble 

 amongst the ever-improving means — ' the growing Sciences 



