12 SOME USEFUL AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



national parks in the vicinity of Sydney — National Park, Port Hacking, of 

 33,7 19 acres, and Kuring-gai Chase, of 35,300 acres — are sanctuaries, together 

 with the reserves round the different caves, ranging from 6,000 acres at 

 Jenolan to 1,400 at Colong. There are also a number of so-called sanctuaries 

 which exist in name only. 



The Migration of Birds. 



Though the movements and migrations of animals and birds have been 

 recorded since a very early date in a general way, it is remarkable how little 

 was actually known, even down to modern times, about this habit. One 

 would have thought that the educated observer of the time would have 

 known something definite of the movements of the migratory birds of 

 Northern Europe, that congregated together, and every year winged their way 

 southward in search of food and warmth as the winter months drew near, 

 returning with the northland summer to rest in their native land. Yet we 

 find Gilbert White (in that classic, " The Natural History of Selborne,") 

 gravely stating (Letter lv, October, 1781) that he believed that the great 

 flocks of martins hibernated during the winter months in or under the dense 

 thickets of beech scrub near Selborne. The great naturalist, Cuvier, in his 

 *' Natural History," published in 1820, said, "It appears certain that 

 swallows become torpid during winter, and even that they pass the season 

 at the bottom of the water in the marshes." Other writers were inclined to 

 doubt their living under the water, and explained their disappearance by 

 stating that they slept through the winter months in recesses of mountain 

 caves. 



The question of migration has, however, been carefully studied during the 

 last twenty-five years from a scientific standpoint, and as one of international 

 importance to be considered when drawing up a comprehensive scheme for 

 the protection of useful birds. It has been for a long time a burning question 

 in Europe, because of the value of the insectivorous birds to the northern 

 countries. Countless flocks of migratory insectivorous and song birds, 

 returning from their winter residence in Africa to Europe for the summer, 

 rest On the southern shore on their homeward flight. These birds are met 

 and caught on the Italian coast; bird-lime, snares, nets, and permanent traps 

 being used. To give some idea of the extent of this destruction. Professor 

 Vallon stated at an International Convention in Hungary that, in October, 

 1890, 500,000 small birds passed through the Customs House at Bressica, 

 chiefly flycatchers, tit-mice, white-throats, and rock-pipets. At Undine 

 200,000 similar birds wore caught ; at Montegrade in three days 14,000 

 •swallows were killed, while at Crao enormous numbers of swallows were 

 netted. 



Careful observations have been carried out by marking large numbers of 

 migratory birds nesting in the north of Europe and making records of the 

 limits of their southward flight. As an example : among the birds noticed 



