.46 



THE OOLOGIST. 



was just at sunset and toward the 

 west a heavy bank of clouds lay piled 

 up in masses, from which we could see 

 the lightning play and hear the distant 

 rumble of thunder. They were of that 

 shade of color which betokens the se- 

 verest st-^rms. 



We were surprised at the sight of a 

 flock of eight, or perhaps ten Crows, 

 which flew hastily by at no great eleva- 

 tion from the lake. They were follow- 

 ed by another flock, and later yet. by 

 another, while last of all came a single 

 bird, lumbering along as fast as a pair 

 of very ragged wings could carry him. 



This is the season when most Crows 

 ai'e paired and nesting, and as far as 

 my experience goes, are not generally 

 flocked as these were. The best way 

 we could account for it, was the prob- 

 able supposition that they were trying 

 to get out of the path of the s orm. 



As I have said, the storm was in the 

 west, and betokened more than usual 

 severity. Its apparent direction was 

 toward the northeast, making it likely 

 that we might catch one end of it. 

 The Crows were flying at a right angle 

 to its path and it would have been but 

 a few minutes before they would have 

 been out of its track altogether. Of 

 coui'se, one cannot say that these were 

 not chance flocks of Crows winging 

 over the country, but I never shall be- 

 lieve it was so. 



It certainly falls without the bounds 

 of instinct, and comes within the do- 

 main of reason, for a bird to judge of 

 the direction in which the clouds are 

 moving, and take action, as did these 

 Crows. This is not the only time I have 

 seen birds endeavoring to avoid a 

 storm. 



Early in June, two or three years 

 past, I noticed large numbers of Night- 

 hawks tlying swiftly before some green- 

 tinted clouds. The clouds were of lim- 

 ited area, but unlike the Crows, the 

 Nighthawks floundered rapidly before 

 them, as if in fear, and the only way of 



escaping was by precipitate flight. 

 This was also in the season of the year 

 when these birds were breeding and 

 many nests must have been deserted. 



Again towai'ds the end ot a very op- 

 pressive day in August, 1886, we notic- 

 ed large numbers of Nighthawks high 

 in the air. They were all flying rapidly 

 toward the east and were not cutting 

 leisurely about as Nighthawks usually 

 do. There was then not a cloud in the 

 heavens, but in a short while afterward 

 our attention was attracted by a low, 

 rumbling sound from the west, like the 

 sound of a distant train of cars. Soon 

 after a storm had passed which left 

 many trees prostrate and otherwise 

 caused much damage. 



These birds doubtless have cause to 

 fear these storms, though I have never 

 noticed dead or wounded birds lying 

 about after one had passed. On the 

 contrary, when the winds have gone 

 they seem to sing as cheerily as though 

 nothing has happened. 



It is strange what prevents so light an 

 object from being beaten mercilessly 

 before a heavy gale, unless they take 

 shelter behind tree trunks or in hollows 

 on the ground. 



One would think that the nest of the 

 Vireo, built as it is, on the end of a 

 small limb, would suffer from being 

 tossed by the wmd. After a hard blow 

 I visited a nest that I knew about. 1 

 found it intact and the bird sitting upon 

 it. From its position it must have been 

 violently twisted, and lashed back and 

 forth, and unless the bird had remained 

 upon the eggs during all the storm 

 nothing could have kept them from be- 

 ing thrown out. 



In a volume written by Henry School- 

 craft, the discoverer of the source of 

 the Mississippi, I And the following, 

 which tells another tale of the vicissi- 

 tudes of the Wild Pigeon. 



Speaking of Lake Michigan he says: 

 "In walking along some parts of the 

 shore I observed a great number of the 



