117 



wesl coast of Europe or through Soulh Swedeii, only a few excep- 

 tions hehig driven l)y chance so far west as the Færoes; and the 

 Icelandic migratory hirds are few in numher. According to this 

 we may say thai Ihc mUjratonj fliglit of birds over the Færoes is 

 not considerable , as is also proved by the faet that in the 6 years 

 during which the Hghthouses of the Færoes have existed a few 

 birds have onl}^ once descended beside them, whilst in Denmark il 

 actually »rains« birds round the Hghthouses. 



If we consider how the migrating birds would carry tlie seeds 

 wilh them, it can only l)e in one of two dilfcrent ways, either in 

 tlie aHmentary canals or adliering to their beaks, feet or feathers. 

 With regard to tliis Mr. Andersen says that in Denmark during a 

 period of 4 — 5 years tlie intestines of all the birds found at the 

 Hghthouses were exaniined with the result that all without excep- 

 tion were empty, i. e. tlie birds migrate on an empty stomach. Even 

 if a hird had taken food just before it left the nearest land, Shet- 

 land, it would not retain it until it reached the Færoes, as it takes 

 at most a few hours to digest the food and the useless parts are 

 doubtless ejected during flight. With regard lo the seeds adhering 

 lo the birds, Mr. Andersen says thai here also we must bear in 

 mind that we are speaking of migrating birds, for while a hird 

 shol in Ihe fields may have clumps of earlh, etc. (possibly wilh 

 seeds) adhering to it. Ibis has never been found to be the case 

 with migratory birds on the move, and he again refers to the 

 (|uanlily of birds from lighlhouses which he has had for invesliga- 

 lion lo support him in stating wilh some certainty that migratory 

 birds are almost always clean when they journey. 



Thus we see that an ornilhologist is of opinion that migratory 

 birds are of hardly any importance as disseminators of piants. 



Lastly, we have the wind as a disseminating agency, and 

 Ihough we cannol allogelher dispute ils title to be such, yet we 

 must remember that the most frequent winds (see p. 35) are the 

 south-weslerly and northerly which come from the open sea, while 

 further, only a small quantity of species have seeds which can be 

 carried by the wind. I am therefore of opinion that though some 

 of the lucroese specimens may possibly have been introduced by the 

 agency of the n)ind, the greater part were introduced othermisc. Fur- 

 ther, ever since the P^æroes have been inhabiled, man has doubtless 

 introduced and keeps on introducing new species. 



A summary of the above arguments leads to the conclusion 



